Sunday Night Football Tonight: 2026 Schedule, Channel & Streaming Guide
Sunday Night Football is the NFL’s biggest weekly window, and for the 2026 season every game kicks off at 8:20 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. Tonight’s matchup, the channel, the stream and the cheapest legal way to watch are all below.
NBC and Peacock carry 26 live NFL broadcasts this season: the Hall of Fame Game, 22 regular season games and three playoff games. That is 18 Sunday night games, the Wednesday season opener, a Thanksgiving nightcap, the first NBC Sunday Night Football game played outside the United States, and one Saturday game that streams nowhere but Peacock.
Here is the full 2026 schedule, kickoff times, channel details, streaming prices and the free options, all checked against NFL and NBC Sports sources.
Tonight’s Game at a Glance
- Kickoff: 8:20 PM ET, 7:20 PM CT, 6:20 PM MT, 5:20 PM PT
- Pregame: Football Night in America from 7:00 PM ET
- TV channel: NBC, free over the air with an antenna
- Live stream: Peacock Premium, $10.99 a month
- En Español: Telemundo, Universo and Peacock
- Season opener: Cowboys at Giants, Sunday, September 13, 2026
Jump to a section: Start time · Channel · 2026 schedule · Other NBC games · Watch without cable · Watch free · Flex scheduling · Announcers · FAQs
What Time Does Sunday Night Football Start Tonight?
Kickoff is 8:20 PM ET every Sunday night. That is 7:20 PM Central, 6:20 PM Mountain and 5:20 PM Pacific. Coverage opens at 7:00 PM ET with Football Night in America, NBC’s pregame show, which runs until kickoff with injury news, highlights from the afternoon games and picks. In Arizona, which does not change its clocks, kickoff is 5:20 PM local until November 1 and 6:20 PM after that. Alaska sees 4:20 PM and Hawaii 3:20 PM.
Every Sunday night game holds that slot. NBC’s other football windows do not: the Hall of Fame Game kicked off at 8:00 PM ET on August 6, the two Saturday, January 2, 2027 games in Week 17 go at 4:30 PM ET on NBC and 8:00 PM ET on Peacock, and playoff kickoff times are set only once the bracket is known. The Sunday night game that Week 17 weekend is still 8:20 PM ET, on January 3.
What Channel Is Sunday Night Football On?
NBC is the only network airing Sunday Night Football in 2026, and it has held the package since 2006. Find your local NBC affiliate on your TV guide, or pull it in free with a digital antenna.
Every game is also simulcast live on Peacock at the same time, with no cable login needed. Spanish language coverage of the entire package runs on Telemundo and Universo through Telemundo Deportes, and that feed is on Peacock too.
- NBC: broadcast television, cable, satellite and antenna
- Peacock: live simulcast of every game plus the January 2 exclusive, on a paid plan, no TV provider login
- Telemundo and Universo: full Spanish language coverage of all 18 games
- NBC.com and the NBC app: live, but only with a pay TV provider login
- NFL Plus: live on phones and tablets only
Sunday Night Football Schedule 2026
Every Sunday night game in the 2026 NFL season. All 17 announced matchups kick off at 8:20 PM ET on NBC and Peacock, and Week 18 stays unassigned until Week 17 ends. Games from Week 5 onward can change under flex scheduling.
| WEEK | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | WATCH ON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun, Sept 13 | Cowboys at Giants | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 2 | Sun, Sept 20 | Colts at Chiefs | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 3 | Sun, Sept 27 | Rams at Broncos | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | Lions at Panthers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | Ravens at Falcons | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Cowboys at Packers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | Chiefs at Seahawks | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | Eagles at Commanders | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | Buccaneers at Bears | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | Steelers at Bengals | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Vikings at 49ers, Mexico City | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | Patriots at Chargers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | Texans at Steelers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | Bills at Packers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 15 | Sun, Dec 20 | Lions at Vikings | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | Jaguars at Cowboys | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 17 | Sun, Jan 3, 2027 | Eagles at 49ers | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| 18 | Sun, Jan 10, 2027 | TBD, set after Week 17 | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
Three dates worth circling. Week 11 on November 22 sends the Vikings and 49ers to Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, the first Sunday Night Football game NBC has ever aired from outside the United States, with San Francisco as the designated home team. Week 7 on October 25 puts Patrick Mahomes in Seattle against the defending champion Seahawks. Week 18 on January 10 is left blank on purpose and is filled with whichever game carries the most playoff weight.
Want the whole league in one view? Compare it with our full 2026 NFL schedule or the printable NFL schedule grid. Source: NFL.com Sunday Night Football schedule.
Other 2026 NFL Games on NBC and Peacock
NBC’s package runs wider than Sunday nights. Six more windows sit outside the regular slot.
| GAME | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | WATCH ON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Kickoff | Wed, Sept 9 | Patriots at Seahawks | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| Thanksgiving night | Thu, Nov 26 | Chiefs at Bills | 8:20 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| Week 17 Holiday Special | Sat, Jan 2, 2027 | TBD | 4:30 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| Week 17 Peacock exclusive | Sat, Jan 2, 2027 | TBD | 8:00 PM | Peacock only |
| Wild Card round | Jan 16 to 18, 2027 | 2 games, TBD | TBD | NBC, Peacock |
| Divisional round | Jan 23 or 24, 2027 | 1 game, TBD | TBD | NBC, Peacock |
- A Wednesday opener. The season starts Wednesday, September 9 with the Patriots at the Seahawks, a Super Bowl LX rematch in Seattle. The league moved off Thursday because Netflix has the 49ers and Rams in Melbourne on September 10. It is NBC’s 21st straight season opener.
- Thanksgiving nightcap. Chiefs at Bills at 8:20 PM ET closes the first five game Thanksgiving week in NFL history.
- One streaming only game. The 8:00 PM ET game on January 2 runs on Peacock nationally, with NBC stations in the two competing markets carrying it locally.
- Playoffs. NBC and Peacock have two Wild Card games, including the Sunday primetime game on January 17, plus one Divisional round game.
- No Super Bowl, no Christmas. Super Bowl LXI goes to ABC and ESPN on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium. NBC has no Christmas Day game this year either.
How to Watch Sunday Night Football Without Cable
Peacock is the cheapest route. Peacock Premium costs $10.99 a month or $109.99 a year and carries every Sunday Night Football game live, plus the January 2 exclusive and all three playoff games. No cable account is required. The $7.99 Select tier excludes live sports entirely, so it will not get you a single game.
| SERVICE | PRICE PER MONTH | CARRIES NBC? | FREE TRIAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peacock Premium | $10.99 | Every SNF game live | None in 2026 |
| Sling Blue | from $45.99 | NBC in 11 markets, surcharge applies | No trial, day passes from $4.99 |
| YouTube TV Sports | $64.99 | Yes, where available | 21 days for $0, new members |
| YouTube TV Base | $82.99 | Yes, where available | 21 days for $0, new members |
| Fubo | from $88.99 | Returning market by market | Yes, length not published |
| Hulu + Live TV | $89.99 | Yes, where available | 3 days |
| DirecTV MySports | $64.99 | NBC Local, select markets | 5 days |
- YouTube TV split into genre packages in 2026. The $64.99 Sports plan carries NBC for far less than the $82.99 base plan. The 21 day trial is a limited time offer, so check it is still live before you count on it.
- Sling TV carries NBC in just 11 designated markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego and Hartford. The $45.99 headline price is for markets without locals. Sling raised prices in February 2026 for the markets that do get local channels, so expect to pay more in exactly the places where NBC is available. Check your ZIP code before paying.
- Fubo lost NBCUniversal channels in November 2025 and only settled the dispute in June 2026. NBC affiliates are still rolling out market by market, and Fubo raised prices $15 a month in July 2026 to cover the deal. Note that the cheaper $64.99 Fubo Sports plan carries ABC, CBS and FOX but not NBC, so $88.99 is the real entry price for Sunday nights.
- NFL Plus at $6.99 a month includes live primetime games, but only on phones and tablets. You cannot cast it to a television.
- DirecTV now sells genre packs from $20.99 a month. The one that matters here is MySports at $64.99, which includes NBC Local in select markets for $25 less than the $89.99 Entertainment package. Locals are market dependent on both.
- NBC.com and the NBC app stream the game live at no extra cost, but they still demand a cable, satellite or telco login, so they are no help to cord cutters.
How to Watch Sunday Night Football Free
A digital antenna is the only genuinely free option. Sunday Night Football airs on your local NBC broadcast station, so an antenna pulls it in over the air with no subscription at all. A basic indoor model is usually under $30, a one time cost that covers every NBC game for years.
- Antenna: free forever once you buy the hardware, and the picture is uncompressed
- YouTube TV: 21 days for $0 for new members, easily enough for three or four games
- Sling day pass: $4.99 for one day in an NBC market, cheaper than a month anywhere else
- Peacock discounts: $5.99 a month for verified students, with a separate offer for non students aged 18 to 24, or $6.99 for military, teachers, healthcare workers and first responders. All are 12 month promotional rates that revert to $10.99.
- Bundles you may already have: Peacock Premium comes with Walmart+ as an either or choice against Paramount+, with Spectrum TV Select Signature, Select Plus and Platinum, and with Xfinity Rewards Diamond and Platinum
One thing to know: Peacock scrapped its standard free trial in 2026, so any site still promising seven free days on Peacock is out of date.
Flex Scheduling: Why Tonight’s Matchup Can Change
The NFL can swap a Sunday afternoon game into the Sunday night slot to protect the window from a blowout. Only afternoon or TBD games can move up, and the displaced primetime game drops to a Sunday afternoon start.
- Weeks 1 to 4: locked, no flexing
- Weeks 5 to 10: flex can be used up to twice
- Weeks 11 to 17: flex available any week at the league’s discretion
- Notice, Weeks 5 to 13: at least 12 days before kickoff
- Notice, Weeks 14 to 17: at least 6 days before kickoff
- Week 18: matchups are known from the schedule release, but the dates, times and networks are assigned only after Week 17 ends
CBS and Fox are also reported to protect one game each per week during the flex window, with no protections in Week 18. The league does not publish that part, so treat it as reported rather than official. The rules the NFL does publish sit in its flexible scheduling procedures. Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football run on separate flex windows.
Who Calls Sunday Night Football on NBC in 2026?
The booth is unchanged for a fifth straight season: Mike Tirico on play by play, Cris Collinsworth as analyst, Melissa Stark on the sideline and Terry McAulay as rules analyst.
The studio is where 2026 looks different. Football Night in America kept host Maria Taylor but rebuilt around it, adding Mike Tomlin as a studio analyst after his 19 year run as Steelers head coach ended on January 13, 2026. Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty join him, Mike Florio stays on as insider, and the show now travels to the site of the game rather than broadcasting from a studio. Tony Dungy and Chris Simms have both confirmed they are off the show, though Simms is still at NBC on PFT Live. Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth and Matthew Berry are widely reported to be out as well, but NBC has not announced it.
The audience is holding up: Sunday Night Football averaged a record 23.5 million viewers across NBC and Peacock in 2025 and finished as primetime’s number one show for a 15th consecutive year. Details in the NBC Sports schedule release.
Sunday Night Football FAQs
What time is Sunday Night Football tonight?
Kickoff is 8:20 PM ET, which is 7:20 PM Central, 6:20 PM Mountain and 5:20 PM Pacific. Football Night in America starts the coverage at 7:00 PM ET on NBC.
What channel is Sunday Night Football on tonight?
NBC. Every game airs on your local NBC broadcast station and is free over the air with a digital antenna. The same feed streams live on Peacock, and Telemundo and Universo carry Spanish language coverage.
Who plays on Sunday Night Football tonight?
NBC opens its season on Wednesday, September 9 with Patriots at Seahawks, and the first Sunday night game is Cowboys at Giants on September 13. Later highlights include Chiefs at Seahawks on October 25, Vikings at 49ers from Mexico City on November 22, Chiefs at Bills on Thanksgiving night and Eagles at 49ers on January 3, 2027. The full week by week table is above, though matchups from Week 5 on can be flexed.
Can I watch Sunday Night Football without cable?
Yes. Peacock Premium at $10.99 a month streams every game with no cable login, and it is the cheapest paid option by a wide margin. If you want a full channel bundle, the ones carrying NBC are YouTube TV Sports at $64.99, DirecTV MySports at $64.99, Hulu with Live TV at $89.99, Fubo at $88.99 and Sling Blue from $45.99 in 11 markets.
Is Sunday Night Football free to watch?
Yes, over the air. NBC is a free broadcast network, so a digital antenna picks up every Sunday night game at no monthly cost, and a basic indoor model is usually under $30. The one exception is the January 2 Peacock exclusive, which no NBC station carries nationally. Peacock itself no longer offers a free trial in 2026.
Is every Sunday Night Football game on Peacock?
Yes. Peacock simulcasts all 18 Sunday night games live, plus the September 9 opener, Thanksgiving night, both January 2 Saturday games and three playoff games. You need Peacock Premium or Premium Plus, because the cheaper Select tier has no live sports at all.
Can I watch Sunday Night Football on my phone?
Yes. The Peacock app streams the game on phones and tablets. NFL Plus at $6.99 a month also carries live primetime games, but on mobile devices only, with no casting to a television.
Is Sunday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video or ESPN?
No. Prime Video has Thursday Night Football and ESPN has Monday Night Football with at least 10 games simulcast on ABC. NBC is the only network with the Sunday night package.
Can I watch Sunday Night Football in Spanish?
Yes. Telemundo Deportes covers the entire Sunday Night Football package in Spanish across Telemundo, Universo and Peacock, plus three playoff games.
Why did tonight’s Sunday Night Football matchup change?
Flexible scheduling. The NFL can move a Sunday afternoon game into the 8:20 PM ET window up to twice between Weeks 5 and 10 and at its discretion in Weeks 11 through 17. Notice is 12 days through Week 13 and 6 days from Week 14 on.
Who announces Sunday Night Football in 2026?
Mike Tirico calls play by play with analyst Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Melissa Stark and rules analyst Terry McAulay. Maria Taylor hosts Football Night in America, joined this season by former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
Is any NBC NFL game not shown on NBC in 2026?
Yes, one. The Week 17 primetime game on Saturday, January 2, 2027 at 8:00 PM ET is exclusive to Peacock and airs on no NBC station nationally, though local NBC stations in the two competing team markets carry it. Antenna only viewers need Peacock for that single game.
How do I watch Sunday Night Football from outside the United States?
NBC and Peacock are United States only. International fans watch through NFL Game Pass, which streams on DAZN in most countries. Pricing and availability vary by market.
Does NBC have the Super Bowl after the 2026 season?
No. Super Bowl LXI airs on ABC and ESPN on February 14, 2027 from SoFi Stadium. NBC and Peacock carry two Wild Card games and one Divisional round game, then their postseason ends. NBC aired Super Bowl LX in February 2026 and is next up in February 2030.
Sunday Night Football is the easiest game of the week to find: 8:20 PM ET on NBC, free with an antenna, or $10.99 a month on Peacock if you have cut the cord. Only three nights break the pattern, and they are September 9, November 26 and January 2.
Buying one subscription? Peacock Premium covers all 18 games and the playoffs for less than any live TV bundle. Watching from abroad? Use NFL Game Pass on DAZN. Bookmark this page for flex updates through the season.
