NFL Schedule 2026 - All Games, Dates, Times & TV Week-by-Week

The 2026 NFL schedule was officially released in May 2026, revealing all 272 regular-season games plus the playoff structure. The schedule release has become a major event in the NFL calendar, with teams creating elaborate announcement videos and fans eagerly planning their seasons.

Key Schedule Features for 2026:

• 17-Game Season: Each team plays 17 regular-season games with one bye week
• Wednesday Kickoff: The season opens on a Wednesday with Seattle hosting New England on September 9
• International Expansion: A record 9 games across 7 countries, with Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris hosting for the first time
• Flex Scheduling: Enhanced flexibility for primetime games starting Week 5
• Holiday Games: Eight special broadcasts across Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• New Broadcast Landscape: ESPN now operates NFL Network and handles NFL RedZone distribution, and Super Bowl LXI moves to ABC/ESPN

Get the complete 2026/27 NFL schedule in your preferred format:

Primary Broadcast Partners

Streaming Options

• NFL+: Live local and primetime games on mobile/tablet
• Sunday Ticket: Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
• Network Apps: Peacock, Paramount+, FOX Sports and the ESPN app
• NFL Network & RedZone: ESPN now operates NFL Network and handles RedZone distribution; the NFL continues to own and produce RedZone

Notable Storylines for 2026

• Super Bowl Rematch on Night One: Seattle hosts New England in the Kickoff Game, a rematch of Super Bowl LX
• Three New Countries and Cities: Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris join the International Series
• A Wednesday Start: the second time the regular season has opened on a Wednesday. The first time was in September 5th, 2012.
• Super Bowl Moves Networks: ABC airs the game for the first time since 2006, and ESPN televises a Super Bowl in English for the first time ever
• Valentine's Day Super Bowl: Super Bowl LXI is the first played on February 14

When does the NFL 2026/27 schedule start?

The 2026 NFL season begins Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots at 8:20 PM ET on NBC. It is the first NFL Kickoff Game staged on a Wednesday, and a rematch of Super Bowl LX.

How many games are in the 2026/27 NFL schedule?

The 2026/27 NFL schedule includes 272 regular season games over 18 weeks. Every team plays 17 games and takes exactly one bye.

When was the 2026/27 NFL schedule released?

The 2026/27 NFL schedule was released in May 2026, following the NFL Draft. The international games slate was announced separately ahead of the full release.

How does the 17-game NFL schedule work?

Each team plays 17 regular-season games: 6 divisional games (home and away), 4 games against another division in conference, 4 games against a division in the other conference, 2 intraconference games based on prior year standings, and 1 additional interconference game. In 2026, the extra 17th game is hosted by NFC teams, so all 16 NFC clubs have nine home games and all 16 AFC clubs have eight.

What is NFL flex scheduling for 2026?

Flex scheduling allows the NFL to move games into stronger broadcast windows. Sunday night flexing begins in Week 5 with 12 days notice, reducing to 6 days notice after Week 10. Week 18 is scheduled entirely after Week 17 finishes, spread across Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2027.

Which teams have the toughest schedule in 2026?

Based on opponents' 2025 records, the Chicago Bears (.550), Miami Dolphins (.542), Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers (both .538) and Kansas City Chiefs (.536) face the hardest slates. The Cleveland Browns have the easiest at .429. Actual difficulty varies as teams improve or decline from the previous season.

Which team has the most primetime games in 2026?

The Los Angeles Rams lead the league with seven primetime appearances, tying the all-time record, including the Melbourne opener, the Thanksgiving Eve game and the Christmas night game. Five teams — the Cardinals, Dolphins, Jets, Raiders and Titans — have no primetime games on the initial schedule, though flex scheduling can change that.

Where can I watch 2026 NFL games?

Games air on CBS (AFC), FOX (NFC), NBC (Sunday Night), ESPN/ABC (Monday Night), Prime Video (Thursday Night), NFL Network (international games) and Netflix (Melbourne, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Day and a Week 18 Saturday game). Streaming is available via NFL+, Sunday Ticket, and the network apps. From 2026, ESPN operates NFL Network and handles distribution of NFL RedZone.

What NFL games are on Thanksgiving 2026?

Thanksgiving on November 26 features three games: Bears at Lions (1:00 PM on CBS), Eagles at Cowboys (4:30 PM on FOX), and Chiefs at Bills (8:20 PM on NBC). A Thanksgiving Eve game, Packers at Rams, also airs on Netflix on Wednesday, November 25, and the Black Friday game is Broncos at Steelers on Prime Video.

What NFL games are on Christmas 2026?

Christmas Day, a Friday in 2026, has three games: Packers at Bears (1:00 PM on Netflix), Bills at Broncos (4:30 PM on Netflix), and Rams at Seahawks (8:15 PM on FOX). A Christmas Eve game, Texans at Eagles, airs Thursday, December 24 on Prime Video.

How many international NFL games are there in 2026?

There are a record 9 international NFL games in 2026, played across 7 countries: Australia (1), Brazil (1), the UK (3), France (1), Spain (1), Germany (1) and Mexico (1). Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris host regular season NFL games for the first time.

When and where is Super Bowl LXI?

Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It airs on ABC and ESPN in English, and ESPN Deportes and Univision in Spanish — the first Super Bowl on ABC since 2006 and the first ever televised in English by ESPN.