New England Patriots Radio Network Stations

98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship station of the New England Patriots Radio Network. To hear the game, you can tune to the flagship or a regional affiliate, use the local-market game-audio stream, or choose a nationwide listening service; each option has different coverage limits.

How the Patriots Radio Network Works

Use the Patriots Radio Network for the live game call and Patriots.com Radio for team talk; they are not interchangeable streams.

The radio network consists of the flagship station and regional affiliates that carry the Patriots broadcast. You tune to whichever participating station you can receive.

Patriots.com Radio is a separate online programming service with team discussion, interviews, pregame coverage, and replays. Its live-radio page also provides a separately labeled game-audio option. Opening a Patriots-branded audio player does not necessarily mean you have selected the live game.

There is another important distinction: receiving a station over the air and streaming it online are different listening routes. A station’s regular talk programming may be available online even when live NFL game audio is restricted.

How to Listen to the Patriots Game Live

Choose your starting point based on your location and listening device.

Your Situation	Best Starting Point
Using a radio within the flagship’s reception area	The flagship FM broadcast
Using a radio elsewhere in the regional network	A nearby Patriots Radio Network affiliate
Listening online within the local market	The official game-audio player
Listening outside the local market	A nationwide service offering the Patriots broadcast

Step 1: Confirm Your Station or Streaming Access

Find a regional affiliate if you cannot receive the flagship. The Patriots Radio Network has 33 stations, with the complete affiliate listing available through the Patriots’ official broadcast guide.
Check local-market eligibility before relying on free web audio. The Patriots’ free live game stream is for the local market only.
Check subscription access for nationwide listening. If you are outside the local market, find the matchup in your nationwide service’s game listings and confirm that your subscription includes it. Look specifically for the Patriots broadcast when both teams’ feeds are offered.

Step 2: Start Your Selected Broadcast

Open the route that matches your device: – AM/FM radio: In the Boston coverage area, tune to 98.5 FM. Elsewhere, enter the frequency of your selected network affiliate and use the correct AM or FM band. – Web browser: Open Patriots.com Live Radio and select the control labeled “98.5 GAME AUDIO BROADCAST,” rather than starting the general talk player. – SiriusXM radio or app: Open the current Patriots matchup and select the Patriots team feed, not merely the first broadcast listed for that game.
Start playback and raise the listening volume. Some browsers mute audio by default, so use the player’s unmute control if playback appears to be running silently.
A moving playback indicator with no audible sound can be an output problem rather than a missing broadcast.

Step 3: Verify the Live Game Call

Listen for the correct opponent and live game action once kickoff has occurred. Pregame discussion before kickoff is normal; an unrelated discussion or replay afterward does not confirm that you have the game feed.
Check the commentary team when the broadcasters identify themselves. Bob Socci handles Patriots network play-by-play, while former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak provides color analysis.
Once you have the correct broadcast, save the local station as a radio preset or bookmark the official listening page. For nationwide services, select the current matchup each game rather than assuming an old channel assignment still applies.

Listening Nationwide With SiriusXM

SiriusXM offers nationwide game coverage through its app and compatible vehicle radios, subject to subscription access.

For Patriots vs. Bears on October 22, 2026, the assignments were:

Channel 193: Patriots broadcast.
Channel 192: Bears broadcast.

For another game, confirm the exact assignment on the current game’s Patriots radio-coverage page, then match it to the listing on your receiver or in the SiriusXM app.

Choose by the team-feed label as well as the channel number.

Patriots Pregame and Postgame Coverage

Pregame programming is useful for lineup news and matchup discussion, but the team’s pregame shows should not be confused with the live play-by-play feed.

Patriots Pregame Show

The Patriots Pregame Show begins 2 hours before each game. Open the team’s live-radio service and select the live pregame program when it is scheduled to begin.

Plan from that game’s kickoff time rather than assuming the show always starts at the same time of day. A later kickoff shifts the listening window.

For the Patriots–Browns matchup, Dunkin’ Patriots Pregame Social had a Sunday listening window of 11:45 AM–12:45 PM ET on the Patriots.com homepage and the official Patriots app.

That is a game-specific window, not a fixed appointment for every Sunday. Confirm the start time of Dunkin’ Patriots Pregame Social for your matchup before planning when to tune in.

Patriots Postgame Show

For analysis after the game, select the Patriots Postgame Show through the team’s live-radio service. Check whether the player identifies the program as live or as a replay, particularly if you open it well after the final whistle.

Patriots.com Radio and Live Talk Shows

Patriots.com Radio offers Patriots talk 24/7, including live broadcasts. It is the option to choose when you want team discussion between games.

Listen on a Phone or Through Another Player

To hear Patriots.com Radio on a phone, open the Patriots Official App for iOS and Android and start its live-radio stream.

The talk stream is also available through myTuner Radio, Simple Radio, Streamitter, and OnlineRadioBox. Search for Patriots.com Radio, start playback, and confirm that you have the team’s programming rather than another station with Patriots-related content.

These services provide alternative ways to hear the talk stream.

Listen to Patriots Unfiltered Live

Patriots Unfiltered airs live Tuesday through Thursday from 11 AM to 1 PM ET. Use that window when you want the live program rather than a replay, and confirm any schedule changes in the Patriots.com Radio Schedule.

Listen to Patriots Catch-22 Live

Patriots Catch-22 airs live Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 11 AM ET. The show focuses on football analysis, including schemes, trends, and roster moves, with Evan Lazar and Alex Barth.

Improve Radio Reception Before Kickoff

If you have selected a listed affiliate but hear hiss, static, or intermittent audio, address reception before changing listening services. First confirm the station’s frequency and band; an antenna adjustment will not fix tuning to the wrong station.

Adjust the receiving antenna. For FM, extend the radio’s antenna or reposition its connected FM antenna while listening. Move it away from nearby electronics if their operation appears to increase the noise.
Use the adjustment that fits the radio band. For a portable AM radio with an internal antenna, rotate the radio itself to find a clearer orientation. For FM, reposition the FM antenna rather than assuming that turning the receiver will help.
Try FM mono if your receiver offers it. Mono reception can reduce distracting stereo hiss on a weak FM signal. It will not make an unavailable station receivable, but it can make an already audible broadcast easier to follow.
Listen again and finish with a usable route. If the commentary is clear and stable, save the station as a preset. If reception remains unusable, try another listed affiliate or an authorized streaming option, then verify that you can hear the correct game.

Test your preferred route before kickoff, especially after traveling or changing devices. Keep a reachable affiliate or an accessible streaming option ready as your backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can I Listen to Free NFL Radio Broadcasts?

Over-the-air broadcasts on participating local AM/FM stations are free to receive with a suitable radio. For Patriots web audio, the free live game stream is limited to the local market; it is not a free nationwide NFL listening service.

Is ESPN Radio on AM or FM?

ESPN Radio programming can be carried on either AM or FM, depending on the local affiliate. It is a network, not one nationwide frequency, and an ESPN-affiliated station does not automatically carry Patriots games.

How Do I Watch the Patriots on My Phone?

Watching requires a video service carrying that particular game; a radio player provides audio only. Check that your chosen video service supports viewing on your phone and that you meet any subscription or location requirements.