NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026: Start Time, Matchup & TV Channel
The NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 opens on a night no one is used to. Football returns on Wednesday, September 9, when the defending champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. The week runs four days, ends Monday night, and includes the first NFL regular season game ever played in Australia.
Below is every Week 1 matchup with its kickoff time in ET, TV channel and stadium, plus the cheapest way to stream each window.
When Does the NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 Start?
The season kicks off Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 PM ET. The Patriots visit the Seahawks at Lumen Field on NBC and Peacock. Seattle earned the honor by beating New England 29 to 13 in Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, the franchise’s second title. The defending champion has opened the season at home every year since 2004.
A Wednesday opener is rare. The last one came in 2012. The cause is the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which strips the league’s antitrust protection for Friday night and Saturday telecasts between the second Friday in September and the second Saturday in December. That rule closed the Friday slot used for the 2025 Brazil game, so Melbourne took Thursday and the Kickoff Game slid back to Wednesday.
NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026: All 16 Games, Start Times and TV Channels
All 32 teams play, so there are 16 games and no byes. Times are Eastern.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots @ Seahawks | 8:20 PM | NBC / Peacock | Lumen Field, Seattle |
Thursday, September 10, 2026
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers @ Rams | 8:35 PM | Netflix | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia |
Sunday, September 13, 2026
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears @ Panthers | 1:00 PM | FOX | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte |
| Buccaneers @ Bengals | 1:00 PM | FOX | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati |
| Saints @ Lions | 1:00 PM | FOX | Ford Field, Detroit |
| Falcons @ Steelers | 1:00 PM | FOX | Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| Bills @ Texans | 1:00 PM | CBS | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Ravens @ Colts | 1:00 PM | CBS | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis |
| Browns @ Jaguars | 1:00 PM | CBS | EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville |
| Jets @ Titans | 1:00 PM | CBS | Nissan Stadium, Nashville |
| Dolphins @ Raiders | 4:25 PM | FOX | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas |
| Commanders @ Eagles | 4:25 PM | FOX | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Cardinals @ Chargers | 4:25 PM | CBS | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Packers @ Vikings | 4:25 PM | CBS | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis |
| Cowboys @ Giants | 8:20 PM | NBC / Peacock | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
Monday, September 14, 2026
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos @ Chiefs | 8:15 PM | ESPN / ABC | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Week 1 times are locked and cannot be flexed, but you can always confirm against the NFL.com Week 1 schedule on game day.
The First NFL Game in Australia
Thursday belongs to history. The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first NFL regular season game staged in Australia. The Rams are the designated home team, and the Jonas Brothers headline the halftime show.
Kickoff is 8:35 PM ET Thursday, which is 10:35 AM AEST on Friday, September 11 in Melbourne. Netflix streams it in more than 200 countries at no extra cost on a standard subscription. A three day NFL Kickoff Festival runs in Melbourne from September 10 to 12.
It is the only Thursday game in Week 1 because Amazon Prime Video does not open its Thursday Night Football package until Week 2 on September 17, with Lions at Bills. Melbourne is one of nine stops on the NFL International Games 2026 slate, a league record.
Week 1 Primetime: Sunday Night and Monday Night Football
Sunday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 8:20 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. It is the 128th regular season meeting in a rivalry that dates to 1960.
Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 PM ET on ESPN with a simulcast on ABC. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 of 2025 and had surgery that December. He was fully cleared for training camp in late July, and Andy Reid said on August 1 that Mahomes has his strength back and is doing everything he normally does.
How to Watch the NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 Without Cable
Six platforms carry Week 1. Here is the cheapest legal route to each window.
| Window | TV Channel | Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Kickoff Game | NBC | Peacock, NFL+ |
| Thu Melbourne game | Netflix | Netflix |
| Sun afternoon games | CBS, FOX | Paramount+, FOX One |
| Sunday Night Football | NBC | Peacock, NFL+ |
| Monday Night Football | ESPN, ABC | ESPN app on ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ |
| Out of market Sunday games | Not on local TV | NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV |
Three details save money and frustration:
- NFL on CBS is included with either Paramount+ tier, so the cheaper plan is enough.
- Monday night needs the ESPN Unlimited plan inside the ESPN app. The lower ESPN Select tier, which replaced the old ESPN+ branding, does not carry ABC or ESPN game broadcasts.
- NFL+ streams local and primetime games on phones and tablets only, not on TVs. A digital antenna pulls in NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC free in most US markets.
Outside the US, DAZN carries every game in Canada, NFL Game Pass International covers most other countries, and Sky Sports shows more than 160 live games across the UK and Ireland.
Week 1 Storylines to Watch
- A Super Bowl rematch opens the year. Seattle and New England meet seven months after Super Bowl LX. The Patriots return as defending AFC champions with MVP runner up Drake Maye and Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel.
- A.J. Brown debuts in New England. The Patriots sent Philadelphia a 2028 first round pick for the receiver on June 1. His chemistry with Maye took a few camp practices to click, then took off once the pads came on.
- Kyler Murray starts for Minnesota. Kevin O’Connell named Murray the Week 1 starter in early August, with J.J. McCarthy as the backup, before Green Bay visits U.S. Bank Stadium.
- Cleveland’s quarterback call is still open. First year coach Todd Monken has Deshaun Watson starting the preseason opener and Shedeur Sanders starting on August 22, with the Jacksonville trip still undecided.
- Atlanta and Las Vegas have their own battles. Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are competing in Atlanta before the Steelers trip, while Kirk Cousins leads No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas.
- Joe Brady takes over in Buffalo. The promoted coordinator makes his head coaching debut in Houston. Buffalo has not won at NRG Stadium since 2006.
- Mahomes returns on Monday night. Kansas City opens against Denver with its quarterback cleared for camp roughly nine months after knee surgery.
NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 FAQs
When does the NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 start?
Week 1 starts Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 8:20 PM ET, when the New England Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on NBC. The week ends Monday, September 14 with Broncos at Chiefs.
Why does the 2026 NFL season start on a Wednesday?
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 keeps the NFL off Friday and Saturday nights from the second Friday in September. That removed the Friday international slot, so the Australia game moved to Thursday and the Kickoff Game moved to Wednesday. It is the first Wednesday opener since 2012.
How many games are in NFL Week 1 2026?
There are 16 games. All 32 teams play and no team has a bye. The slate runs across Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday.
Where is the Week 1 international game and what channel is it on?
The 49ers play the Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, live on Netflix at no extra cost on a standard subscription. Kickoff is 8:35 PM ET on Thursday, September 10, which is 10:35 AM AEST on Friday, September 11 in Melbourne. The Jonas Brothers headline halftime.
Who plays on Sunday Night and Monday Night Football in Week 1 2026?
Sunday Night Football is Cowboys at Giants at MetLife Stadium, 8:20 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. Monday Night Football is Broncos at Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, 8:15 PM ET on ESPN with an ABC simulcast.
How can I watch NFL Week 1 2026 without cable?
Peacock carries the NBC games, Paramount Plus carries CBS on either tier, and FOX One carries FOX. Monday night needs the ESPN Unlimited plan in the ESPN app, since the cheaper ESPN Select tier does not include ABC or ESPN games. Netflix has the Melbourne game, and NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV adds out of market Sunday games. A digital antenna picks up the broadcast networks free.
Is Patrick Mahomes playing in Week 1 of 2026?
He is on track. Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 of 2025 and had surgery in December, then was fully cleared to practice when training camp opened. Andy Reid said on August 1 that Mahomes has regained full strength, though Kansas City has not formally ruled him in for the Monday night opener.
The NFL Week 1 Schedule 2026 gives you four days of football, a Super Bowl LX rematch to open it, the league’s first game in Australia, and two of its oldest rivalries in primetime. Bookmark this page for kickoff times and channels, then plan the rest of your year with the 2026 NFL schedule, the NFL bye weeks 2026 chart, and the printable 2026 NFL schedule grid.
