It’s Sunday afternoon, your team just kicked off, and the game isn’t on the channel you thought it would be. The 2026-27 NFL season is scattered across more networks and streaming apps than any season before. Trying to guess your way through all of that gets expensive fast, especially if you sign up for a service only to find out the game you wanted aired somewhere else entirely.
That’s where StreamSafely comes in. This guide covers every safe and legal way to watch the season, from the opening kickoff all the way through Super Bowl LXI. Bookmark it now, and come back to StreamSafely all season for the safe, legitimate way to catch every game.
View your team’s schedule to watch every game.
Season At A Glance
The 2026-27 regular season runs Wednesday, September 9, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027: the full 18-week, 272-game slate. Playoffs start January 16, 2027. Super Bowl LXI caps the season on Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the first Super Bowl ever played on Valentine’s Day. ESPN and ABC simulcast the game, the first Super Bowl in ESPN’s history and the first on ABC since Super Bowl XL in 2006.
The Seahawks host the Patriots in the opener on Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, a rematch of Super Bowl LX and NBC’s 21st straight season opener. The next night, the 49ers and Rams play the first of nine international games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, streaming only on Netflix.
What Channels You Can Watch On
NFL games spread across more networks and apps than ever, but the core lineup hasn’t changed:
- CBS: AFC-focused Sunday afternoon games, the AFC Championship, and select international games
- FOX: NFC-focused Sunday afternoon games, the NFC Championship, and select international games
- NBC: Sunday Night Football (18 regular-season games), the season opener, and Thanksgiving night
- ABC/ESPN: Monday Night Football, select international games, and Super Bowl LXI
- NFL Network: Select Thursday, Saturday, and international games, including all three London games plus Paris and Madrid
- Amazon Prime Video: The exclusive home of Thursday Night Football
- Netflix: A five-game slate under an expanded rights deal
A cable, satellite, or live TV package that includes those channels covers most games with nothing extra to buy. Thursday nights, holiday games, and international windows are the exception. Those continue to live on standalone streaming apps instead of cable.
How Last Season Ended
The Seahawks dominated the 2025-26 campaign by beating the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, claiming the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald. Seattle led the NFL in scoring defense, allowing a league-low 17.2 points per game, and ranked sixth in total yards allowed heading into the postseason. That unit held New England off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter before trading late touchdowns.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, who bounced from the Jets, Panthers, 49ers, and Vikings before solidifying his career in Seattle, topped off his move with a Super Bowl title. Not to mention, running back Kenneth Walker III carried Seattle’s offense all year, earning him the MVP title.
It was the Seahawks’ first title since Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, when they beat the Broncos (43-8), and their first Super Bowl meeting with New England since Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, which the Patriots won (28-14).
Key Storylines Heading Into 2026-27
A busy offseason reshuffled rosters, rivalries, and a few long-running rules debates worth following once games kick off:
- A blockbuster pass-rush swap. The Browns traded star edge rusher Myles Garrett to the Rams, one of the offseason’s biggest moves and a major boost to the Rams’ front seven.
- The Maxx Crosby saga. A planned deal sending the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby to the Ravens fell through, keeping one of the league’s top pass rushers in Las Vegas and reshuffling expectations for both defenses.
- A defensive tackle megadeal. The Bengals traded their 2026 first-round pick (No. 10 overall, Francis Mauigoa) to the Giants for three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence and signed him to a one-year, $28 million extension, hoping he finally fixes a defense that hasn’t had a player top six sacks in years.
- A receiver on the move. The Broncos added former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle in a trade, giving their offense another downfield weapon.
- Aaron Donald’s next move. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year’s future was one of the summer’s most talked-about storylines — is he returning?
- Quarterback questions. Nearly a third of the league went looking for a new answer at quarterback this offseason, and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers remains a story of his own.
- Rule debates carry over. The league’s redesigned kickoff and its concussion rate stay under review, and the “tush push” (112 attempts in 2025, a slight uptick from the year before despite a modest dip in conversion rate) could still face new restrictions.
The International Line-Up: A Record Nine Games
The NFL is playing a record nine games outside the U.S. this season, spanning four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums between September 10 and November 22:
| Week | Date | Matchup | Location | Broadcast (US) |
| 1 | Thu, Sept. 10 | 49ers vs. Rams | Melbourne, Australia | Netflix |
| 3 | Sun, Sept. 27 | Cowboys vs. Ravens | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | CBS/Paramount+ |
| 5 | Sun, Oct. 4 | Colts Vs. Commanders | London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) | NFL Network/NFL+ |
| 6 | Sun, Oct. 11 | Eagles vs. Jaguars | London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) | NFL Network/NFL+ |
| 6 | Sun, Oct. 18 | Texans vs. Jaguars | London (Wembley Stadium) | NFL Network/NFL+ |
| 7 | Sun, Oct. 25 | Steelers vs. Saints | Paris, France | NFL Network/NFL+ |
| 9 | Sun, Nov. 8 | Bengals vs. Falcons | Madrid, Spain (Bernabéu Stadium) | NFL Network/NFL+ |
| 10 | Sun, Nov. 15 | Patriots vs. Lions | Munich, Germany | FOX/FOX One |
| 11 | Sun, Nov. 22 | Vikings vs. 49ers | Mexico City, Mexico | NBC/Peacock (Sunday Night Football) |
Jacksonville plays back-to-back London games this season, its third time doing that. Paris hosts its first-ever regular-season NFL game, and Rio de Janeiro hosts its first after two prior games in São Paulo. Five different broadcasters split this slate, so no single subscription gets you every international game.
Holiday Football: Thanksgiving and Christmas
The 2026 holiday slate spreads across five straight days around Thanksgiving and another cluster around Christmas:
Thanksgiving Week (Week 12):
- Wednesday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Eve): Packers at Rams, 8 p.m. ET (Netflix)
- Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving): Bears at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (CBS/Paramount+); Eagles at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX); Chiefs at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
- Friday, Nov. 27 (Black Friday): Broncos at Steelers, 3 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime Video)
Christmas Week (Week 16):
- Thursday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve): Texans at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime Video)
- Friday, Dec. 25 (Christmas): Packers at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Netflix); Bills at Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET (Netflix); Rams at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
Netflix’s five-game 2026 package covers the Melbourne opener, Thanksgiving Eve, both Christmas Day games, and a Week 18 finale. It’s part of a new four-year rights deal with the NFL running through 2029-30, alongside Netflix’s annual NFL Honors broadcast the week of the Super Bowl.
Providers And Streaming Services You Can Use
Games spread across broadcast TV and several streaming platforms, so most fans end up mixing a few services instead of picking just one:
- Paramount+ carries every CBS game, including the postseason. Premium plans run roughly $14/month, with periodic discounts.
- Peacock carries every NBC game plus an exclusive Week 17 game. Peacock Premium runs around $11–17/month depending on the ad tier.
- Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football and several holiday windows, included with an Amazon Prime membership, which runs $15.
- Netflix carries the five-game package above as part of its $9 per month standard subscription.
- ESPN Unlimited carries ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network games, including Super Bowl LXI. It runs about $29.99/month standalone, or $35.99/month as part of the Disney Bundle.
- FOX One carries FOX’s NFL games, including several international windows, for about $19.99/month standalone.
- NFL+ streams every local and primetime game to your phone or tablet, currently priced at $39.99/year (down from $49.99) as part of a live promotion; the standard monthly rate is $6.99. NFL+ Premium is currently $79.99/year (down from $99.99), or $14.99/month. Live local and primetime games stay mobile- and tablet-only on both tiers.
- NFL+ (base plan) includes, on TV, PC, phone, and tablet: live out-of-market preseason games, the NFL Network stream, live game audio, and more. On phone and tablet only: live local and primetime regular- and postseason games.
- NFL+ Premium includes everything in the base plan, plus, on TV, PC, phone, and tablet: NFL RedZone and game replays (full, condensed, and All-22 coaches film). Live local and primetime games remain phone- and tablet-only. NFL Pro is available on desktop and mobile web only.
- YouTube TV carries the full suite of broadcast channels and is the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, which unlocks every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game. New subscribers can get YouTube TV for $68/month and add Sunday Ticket for $240/year through YouTube Primetime Channels.
- Live TV streaming services like Fubo TV and Live TV from DIRECTV can also fill in your local CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, and NFL Network channels if you’ve cut the cord.
Start with whatever airs your favorite team’s games most often, then add services as specific weeks call for them: an international game, a holiday matchup, a Thursday night game.
Are There Free Ways To Watch?
If you’re looking to save some money and aren’t interested in watching all of the games, there are a few free watching options that exist if you know where to look:
- Over-the-air antennas still pick up local CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC affiliates for free, covering most in-market games with no subscription. A basic antenna runs about $20 and, depending on your market, can also get you Super Bowl LXI on broadcast ABC.
- Free trial periods on services like Fubo can cover a game or two, but not a full season.
Skip the “free” illegal streaming sites promising every game with no subscription required. Beyond the legal risk, they’re a common source of malware, and plenty ask for a credit card or personal login before you even reach a stream that doesn’t work.
Some carry pop-ups that install adware the moment you click play, and stolen logins from these sites regularly turn up for sale elsewhere online. None of it is worth the risk of a game you can watch safely for the cost of a subscription you already have.
Stick with your team’s official broadcast partner or a legitimate streaming service, and enjoy the season without the unwelcome surprises.
Stream Your Favorite Team Legally With StreamSafely
With preseason already underway, the 2026 NFL season is shaping up to be a nail-biter. Following it closely means keeping up with more than just the standings, though. Networks shuffle games at the last minute, streaming deals get announced mid-season, and blackout rules can change what’s available in your market from one week to the next.
StreamSafely follows all of it, so you don’t have to dig through fine print every time you sit down to watch. Come back throughout the season for updated guides on where every game lands, and keep this one bookmarked as your starting point for the year.
Stay safe and happy streaming!
