Patriots vs. 49ers Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 4 Online Today

Not much has gone right for the San Francisco 49ers so far this season. Injuries have begun to mount as the team has limped to a 1-2 start. They face a long road ahead if they want to return to the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots are also 1-2 on the year, but don't harbor title aspirations this season, the first in the post-Bill Belichick era. The biggest question for Pats fans isn't how many games the team will win this year, but which week rookie QB Drake Maye will make his debut. Jacoby Brissett is expected to start again this week at quarterback, but Maye's time could be coming soon.

The Patriots and Niners kick off in California at 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. PT) on Fox. Here's how you can watch, even if the game isn't available on your local Fox channel.

Sunday's game could prove to be Jacoby Brissett's last as starting QB before young star Drake Maye makes his much-anticipated debut next weekend. 

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Patriots vs. 49ers game today: When and where?

This matchup sees the Patriots host the 49ers at 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. PT) on Sunday. The game will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home of the 49ers.

How to watch the Patriots vs. 49ers game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally due to incorrectly applied blackout restrictions, you may need a different way to watch the game and that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, plus it's a great idea for when you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. 

With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. 

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you've got a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. 

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now. 

How to watch Patriots vs. 49ers in the US

Sunday's Patriots vs. 49ers game is on Fox nationally. The good news for football fans is that Fox is available on most of the major live TV streaming services. The least expensive such service is Sling TV Blue. 

Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local Fox stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo. They all cost far more than Sling, but they also carry a full complement of live channels, including football broadcasting channels like CBS and ESPN. Check out our live TV streaming services guide for details.

All the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide. 

An over-the-air antenna connected to your TV provides another option for Fox. The best part about antennas is that there are no streaming or monthly fees required, although you will need to make sure you have good reception.

Quick tips for streaming the Patriots vs. 49ers game using a VPN 

With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- experience and success may vary.  If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option. If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location. All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.  And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.