Netflix NFL Games 2026: Full Schedule, Coverage & Broadcast Team
Netflix NFL games 2026 look very different from the last two seasons. Netflix is no longer a one day Christmas guest. It now carries five live regular season games spread across the calendar, opening in Australia in September and closing with a Saturday afternoon kickoff in January. The NFL Honors awards show joins the package in February 2027.
Every one of these games is exclusive to Netflix in the United States. They are not on cable, not on a regional sports network, and not simulcast nationally on broadcast TV. The only exception is a local station simulcast in each competing team’s home market, which the NFL applies to every nationally streamed game.
This guide covers the full schedule, kickoff times, venues, the announced broadcast team, Netflix plan prices, supported devices and what is still to be confirmed. Every date and time below was checked against NFL.com and the official sites of all six teams involved in August 2026.
Netflix NFL Games 2026: Full Schedule
Netflix has five live NFL games in the 2026 season. Two of them fall on Christmas Day, and the rest sit in windows the league has never used for streaming before.
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Sept 10 | San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams | 8:35 PM | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne |
| Wednesday, Nov 25 | Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams | 8:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA |
| Friday, Dec 25 | Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears | 1:00 PM | Soldier Field, Chicago |
| Friday, Dec 25 | Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos | 4:30 PM | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver |
| Saturday, Jan 9, 2027 | Week 18 matchup TBA | 1:00 PM | TBA |
Netflix also streams NFL Honors exclusively during Super Bowl LXI week in February 2027. The league has not published a date yet, though the ceremony traditionally lands on the Thursday before the game.
Super Bowl LXI itself is on ABC and ESPN from SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 14, 2027.
Week 1 in Australia: 49ers at Rams
Netflix opens its season with the first NFL regular season game ever played in Australia. Kickoff is 8:35 PM ET on Thursday, September 10, which is 10:35 AM on Friday, September 11 in Melbourne. The Los Angeles Rams are the designated home team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the San Francisco 49ers visiting.
Several outlets have called this the season opener. It is not. The 2026 season starts a day earlier on Wednesday, September 9, when the Seahawks host the Patriots at 8:20 PM ET on NBC. Melbourne is one of nine NFL international games in 2026 and the only one on Netflix.
Thanksgiving Eve: Packers at Rams
The league has never scheduled a game on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving until now. Netflix has it: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams, 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, November 25, at SoFi Stadium. Both teams take their bye in Week 11, so neither is on a short turnaround.
This is a separate window from Thanksgiving Day itself on November 26, when Bears at Lions (1:00 PM ET) is on CBS, Eagles at Cowboys (4:30 PM ET) is on FOX and Chiefs at Bills (8:20 PM ET) is on NBC.
Christmas Day 2026 Doubleheader on Netflix
Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026, inside Week 16. The league is running a tripleheader and Netflix has the first two windows.
- 1:00 PM ET, Packers at Bears, Soldier Field. A division rematch with real seeding stakes, Jordan Love against Caleb Williams.
- 4:30 PM ET, Bills at Broncos, Empower Field at Mile High. Buffalo’s rematch after a 33 to 30 overtime loss in Denver in the Divisional Round last January.
The nightcap is not on Netflix. Rams at Seahawks, 8:15 PM ET at Lumen Field, is on FOX, an NFC Championship Game rematch with Seattle coming off a Super Bowl LX win. It is also the first Christmas NFL game on broadcast television since 2023.
Amazon has no Christmas game this year, though Prime Video does carry Texans at Eagles on Christmas Eve. Our full NFL Christmas games guide covers all three windows.
Week 18 Saturday Game and NFL Honors
Netflix closes the regular season with the 1:00 PM ET game on Saturday, January 9, 2027. It is the first of three games that day, with ABC and ESPN taking the 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM windows.
The matchup is not set yet. The NFL assigns Week 18 games only after Week 17 finishes on Sunday, January 3, 2027, so expect the announcement in the days right after. Netflix then returns in February for NFL Honors, which moves to streaming only after years on NBC and NFL Network. Netflix holds it exclusively for four years.
How to Watch Netflix NFL Games 2026
Any active Netflix plan works. Live events are included at no extra cost, so there is no pay per view fee and no sports add on. On game day the broadcast appears on the Netflix home screen and in the Live section.
| PLAN | PRICE / MONTH | QUALITY | NFL GAMES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard with ads | $8.99 | 1080p, 2 streams | Included |
| Standard | $19.99 | 1080p, 2 streams | Included |
| Premium | $26.99 | 4K HDR, 4 streams | Included |
Those prices took effect in March 2026, up from $7.99, $17.99 and $24.99. The cheapest plan is enough for football, so upgrading only helps if you want more simultaneous streams. Ad breaks run during live events on every plan, Premium included, because Netflix treats live sports as an exception to its ad free tiers. There is no free trial in the United States.
Supported devices:
- Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, TCL and others
- Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV players
- iPhone and iPad on iOS 18 or later, Android phones and tablets on Android 9 or later
- Mac and Windows computers at netflix.com
- PlayStation and Xbox consoles
Keep the app on its latest version, since live streams require it. Live events will not play on Chromecast first through third generation or Chromecast Ultra, and you cannot cast from a Chrome browser or screen mirror them. Netflix also warns that a small number of otherwise supported devices, especially TVs and players made before 2015, cannot handle live streams. During the game you can pause, rewind, restart from the beginning or jump back to live.
Three things worth knowing:
- Free on local TV in two markets. Under NFL media policy every nationally streamed game also airs on a broadcast station in both competing teams’ home markets, and the league has confirmed this covers all five Netflix games in 2026. Fans in Chicago and Green Bay, for example, can watch the Christmas early game free with an antenna. Everywhere else needs Netflix, and NFL Honors has no local simulcast.
- Replays leave Netflix fast. Do not plan on watching a day later. After the 2024 and 2025 Christmas games the broadcast stayed on Netflix for only about three hours in the United States before replays moved to NFL+, and roughly 24 hours internationally. NFL+ has also carried the live games on phones and tablets, though its coverage of the new Melbourne, Thanksgiving Eve and Week 18 windows is unconfirmed.
- Not in 4K. Netflix said in 2024 that its NFL games would not be offered in 4K and has announced no 4K live sports feed since. Premium’s 4K applies to the on demand catalogue, not to live football, so expect an HD picture on every plan.
Netflix NFL Games 2026 Broadcast Team
Netflix has announced its crew for the Australia opener only. This is a near total refresh from the 2025 Christmas lineup, and Netflix says the studio desk will stay consistent across all five games while booth crews rotate.
Week 1 booth, 49ers at Rams
- Play by play: Noah Eagle
- Analyst: Luke Kuechly, the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former Panthers All Pro linebacker, in his first national television booth role after several seasons on Carolina’s radio broadcast
- Sideline: MJ Acosta-Ruiz
Studio desk
- Host: Elle Duncan, who left ESPN after nine years to become Netflix’s first full time sports personality
- Analysts: Michael Irvin, Nick Foles, making his television debut, and Clay Matthews III
Kay Adams, who hosted the 2024 and 2025 Christmas shows, is not on the 2026 desk. She launched and hosts the Netflix Sports Club podcast, which is a separate show rather than the NFL pregame programme. Michael Irvin is the only holdover from last year’s studio cast.
Production has shifted too. CBS Sports produced Netflix’s NFL games in 2024 and 2025, and NBC is producing the Melbourne broadcast. Netflix has not confirmed who produces the Christmas, Thanksgiving Eve or Week 18 games, and no announcers have been named for those four windows yet. We will update this page when they are.
Netflix’s NFL Deal Through 2029
Netflix started with two Christmas games in 2024 under a three year agreement covering 2024, 2025 and 2026. On May 13, 2026 the two sides extended it through the 2029 season and widened the package to four or five regular season games a year plus NFL Honors. The 2026 slate lands on five because Christmas is a doubleheader.
The fixed windows are a Week 1 game, a Thanksgiving Eve game, Christmas Day and a Saturday Week 18 game. Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, framed the expansion as a chance to “deepen the partnership, expand the reach of those games.”
The audience numbers explain the move. Lions at Vikings drew a 27.5 million average minute audience on Christmas 2025, the most streamed NFL game in US history, peaking near 30 million. In 2024 the two Christmas games reached nearly 65 million unduplicated US viewers according to Nielsen.
Games also stream live outside the United States on Netflix. The 2025 Christmas doubleheader carried audio in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German, though Netflix sets language options per event rather than guaranteeing them. A few markets hold separate NFL rights, so availability varies by country.
Netflix NFL Games 2026 FAQ
How many NFL games are on Netflix in 2026?
Five regular season games. One in Melbourne on September 10, one on Thanksgiving Eve on November 25, two on Christmas Day on December 25, and one on Saturday, January 9, 2027 in Week 18. Netflix also streams NFL Honors during Super Bowl week in February 2027.
What are the Netflix NFL Christmas games in 2026?
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears at 1:00 PM ET from Soldier Field, and Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos at 4:30 PM ET from Empower Field at Mile High. Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026 and both games are in Week 16.
Do I need a special subscription to watch NFL games on Netflix?
No. Live NFL games are included with every Netflix plan at no extra charge, including the $8.99 Standard with ads tier. There is no pay per view fee and no separate sports package.
How much does Netflix cost in 2026?
Standard with ads is $8.99 a month, Standard is $19.99 and Premium is $26.99. Prices rose in March 2026 from $7.99, $17.99 and $24.99. Netflix does not offer a free trial in the United States.
Are Netflix NFL games available in 4K?
No. Netflix said in 2024 that its NFL games would not stream in 4K and has announced no 4K live sports feed since. Premium’s 4K covers the on demand catalogue, not live football, so games look the same HD on every plan.
Can I watch Netflix NFL games free on regular TV?
Only in two markets per game. Under NFL media policy every nationally streamed game also airs on a broadcast station in both competing teams’ home markets, so local fans can watch free with an antenna. Everyone else needs Netflix.
Can I rewatch a Netflix NFL game later?
Not for long on Netflix. After the 2024 and 2025 Christmas games the broadcast stayed on Netflix for about three hours in the United States before replays moved to NFL+, and about 24 hours internationally. You can pause, rewind and restart freely while the game is live.
Who is calling the Netflix NFL game in Australia?
Noah Eagle on play by play, Luke Kuechly as analyst and MJ Acosta-Ruiz on the sideline. Elle Duncan hosts the studio show with Michael Irvin, Nick Foles and Clay Matthews III. Crews for the other four games have not been announced.
Is the third Christmas Day game on Netflix?
No. Rams at Seahawks at 8:15 PM ET is on FOX, a rematch of the NFC Championship Game. It is the first Christmas NFL game on broadcast television since 2023.
What time does the Netflix game in Melbourne start?
8:35 PM ET on Thursday, September 10, which is 10:35 AM on Friday, September 11 in Melbourne. The Rams are the designated home team against the 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is not the season opener, which is Patriots at Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9.
Which Week 18 game is on Netflix?
The matchup is not set. Netflix has the 1:00 PM ET window on Saturday, January 9, 2027, with ABC and ESPN taking 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM. The NFL assigns Week 18 games after Week 17 ends on January 3, 2027.
Netflix NFL games 2026 give the streamer a real season long presence for the first time: a Melbourne opener, the league’s first Thanksgiving Eve game, the Christmas Day doubleheader and a Saturday Week 18 kickoff, all on a standard subscription with no add on. The gaps left to fill are the Week 18 matchup and the announcers for four of the five games.
Bookmark this page. We update it as soon as Netflix names its remaining broadcast crews and the league sets the January 9 matchup.
