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    How to watch the NFL in 2026: TV, streaming and prices compared

    Most NFL games are on free over-the-air TV in local markets, so an antenna covers your local team's games.[1][2] Out-of-market Sunday games need NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube. As of 11 October 2026 it cost new users $240 for the season.[3][4] Some national games stream only on Prime Video, Netflix or Peacock.[5][6][7]

    Editor reviewedUpdated ExplainerSports

    Watching every game of the 2026 NFL season means combining free TV, cable or streaming TV, and several streaming services.[8][5] This guide sets out which games are where and what the main options cost. Prices are as listed on 11 October 2026 and change often. Check the provider’s page before you buy.

    How this guide works: ContentLora does no hands-on testing. We compare what the NFL and the services publish about game rights and prices, plus independent reporting, and cite every claim. We did not subscribe to or try these services for this guide.

    Who has which games

    GamesWhereSource
    Games involving your local teamFree over-the-air TV in local markets[1]NFL
    Out-of-market Sunday gamesNFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube[3]YouTube
    Sunday Night FootballNBC, Weeks 1-17[8]NFL
    Monday Night FootballESPN, Weeks 1-17[8]NFL
    Thursday Night FootballPrime Video only (15 games, plus Black Friday)[5]NFL
    Thanksgiving Eve and two Christmas Day gamesNetflix[6]NFL
    One Saturday game, 2 January 2027Peacock only[7]NFL
    Five international gamesNFL Network only[9]NFL
    Super Bowl LXI (14 February 2027)ESPN[10]NFL

    Yahoo Sports reported that CBS games stream live on Paramount+ Premium and that some games stream on the ESPN app.[11] For example, Week 5’s Monday game streams in the ESPN app, with the Manning brothers’ alternate broadcast on ESPN2.[12]

    Prices compared (as of 11 October 2026)

    OptionPriceWhat it covers
    AntennaOne-off hardware costLocal over-the-air games[1][2]
    NFL Sunday Ticket (standalone, YouTube)New users $240; returning $480[4]Out-of-market Sunday games[3]
    NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TVNew users $240; returning $378, plus the YouTube TV plan[13]Out-of-market games plus local and national channels[3]
    YouTube TV base plan$82.99/month[14]100+ live channels[14]
    YouTube TV Sports + News plan$49.99/month for 5 months, then $71.99 (offer ends 16 Nov 2026)[15]Sports and news channels
    NFL+$6.99/month or $49.99/year[16]Live local and primetime games on phone or tablet, NFL Network[17]
    NFL+ Premium$14.99/month or $99.99/season[16]Adds NFL RedZone, NFL Pro and full and condensed replays[17]
    Amazon Prime (includes Prime Video)$15/month or $139/year, per Yahoo Sports on 10 Sept[18]Thursday Night Football[5]

    Sunday Ticket can also be paid in eight instalments, for example 8 × $30 for new users, according to YouTube.[4] An NFL RedZone add-on is offered at $10.99 a month when you sign up for YouTube TV and Sunday Ticket together.[14] We could not verify current US prices for Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix or ESPN’s streaming plans from their official pages, which we could not load on 11 October. Check those services directly.

    Which option fits which fan

    • You follow your local team: an antenna or a TV plan with your local channels should cover its games, since the NFL shows them over the air in local markets.[1] Other teams’ Thursday games stream on Prime Video.[5]
    • You follow a team from another region: you need NFL Sunday Ticket for its out-of-market Sunday games.[3] Returning subscribers pay more than new users.[4]
    • You mostly watch on your phone: NFL+ streams live local and primetime games on phones and tablets.[17][19]
    • Bundle maths: with a YouTube TV plan, returning users pay $378 for Sunday Ticket instead of $480 standalone. But the YouTube TV plan itself costs $82.99 a month.[13][4][14] The bundle only saves money if you would pay for live TV anyway.
    • Exclusive windows: Thursday games (Prime Video), the Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas games (Netflix), the 2 January game (Peacock) and five international games (NFL Network) are not on standard broadcast networks nationally.[5][6][7][9] The NFL says games are still shown over the air in the participating teams’ local markets.[1]
    • Prices move: the YouTube TV Sports + News offer ends on 16 November 2026, and promotional terms vary.[15] We will recheck prices then.

    Notes

    This guide covers the United States only. NFL+ is a US-only service, and the NFL directs viewers in other countries to DAZN.[20] ContentLora does not link to or recommend sportsbooks. For the schedule, see the NFL 2026 season tracker.

    Next in the crash course

    Questions readers ask

    Can I watch NFL games for free?

    The NFL says all regular-season and postseason games are shown on free, over-the-air TV in local markets. Yahoo Sports notes that a TV and a digital antenna can be enough for in-market games.[1][2]

    How much is NFL Sunday Ticket in 2026?

    As listed by YouTube on 11 October 2026, the standalone Sunday Ticket cost new users $240 and returning users $480. With a YouTube TV plan it cost new users $240 and returning users $378, plus the YouTube TV plan itself.[4][13]

    Does Sunday Ticket include my local team?

    No. Sunday Ticket is for out-of-market games. Local and national games need a TV plan or an antenna.[3]

    How much does NFL+ cost?

    The NFL lists NFL+ at $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and NFL+ Premium (which adds NFL RedZone and replays) at $14.99 a month or $99.99 a season, plus tax.[16][17]

    Where is Thursday Night Football?

    Exclusively on Prime Video, which has 15 Thursday games between Weeks 2 and 17 plus the Black Friday game.[5]

    Which NFL games are on Netflix in 2026?

    Netflix streamed the Week 1 game in Melbourne. It is scheduled to stream the first Thanksgiving Eve game on 25 November and two Christmas Day games.[6]

    Sources

    · 20 claims from 5 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      The NFL says it is the only sports league that shows all regular-season and postseason games on free, over-the-air television in local markets. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    2. [2]

      Yahoo Sports noted that in-market NFL games on local channels can be watched with a TV and a digital antenna. reportedas of 2026-09-10

    3. [3]

      NFL Sunday Ticket covers out-of-market Sunday games; local and national games require a separate TV plan such as YouTube TV. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    4. [4]

      As listed by YouTube on 11 October 2026, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube without YouTube TV costs new users $240 (or 8 payments of $30) and returning users $480 (or 8 payments of $60). confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    5. [5]

      Thursday Night Football streams exclusively on Prime Video in 2026, which carries 15 Thursday games between Weeks 2 and 17 plus the Black Friday game. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    6. [6]

      Netflix streamed the Week 1 game in Melbourne and is scheduled to stream the first Thanksgiving Eve game (25 November 2026) and two Christmas Day games in 2026. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    7. [7]

      Peacock will exclusively stream one NFL regular-season game in primetime on Saturday 2 January 2027. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    8. [8]

      NBC televises one Sunday night game and ESPN one Monday night game in each of Weeks 1-17 of the 2026 season. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    9. [9]

      The 2026 NFL schedule includes nine international games, the most in a single season, five of them shown exclusively on NFL Network, including first games in Melbourne, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    10. [10]

      Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for Sunday 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, broadcast by ESPN. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    11. [11]

      Yahoo Sports reported that NFL games on CBS stream live on Paramount+ Premium and that some games stream on the ESPN app in 2026. reportedas of 2026-09-10

    12. [12]

      Week 5 ends with the Bills at the Rams on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET), with the Manning brothers' alternate broadcast on ESPN2 and streaming in the ESPN App. confirmedas of 2026-10-09

    13. [13]

      As listed by YouTube on 11 October 2026, NFL Sunday Ticket bought with a YouTube TV plan costs new users $240 (or 8 payments of $30) and returning users $378 (or 8 payments of $47.25), on top of the YouTube TV plan. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    14. [14]

      As listed by YouTube on 11 October 2026, the main YouTube TV plan costs $82.99 a month, and an NFL RedZone add-on is offered at $10.99 a month when signing up for YouTube TV and Sunday Ticket together. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    15. [15]

      As listed on 11 October 2026, YouTube TV's Sports + News plan was offered to new users at $49.99 a month for five months, then $71.99 a month, with the offer ending 16 November 2026. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    16. [16]

      The NFL lists NFL+ at $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and NFL+ Premium at $14.99 a month or $99.99 a season, plus applicable taxes. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    17. [17]

      NFL+ includes live local and primetime games on phones and tablets plus NFL Network; NFL+ Premium adds NFL RedZone, NFL Pro and full, condensed and all-22 game replays. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    18. [18]

      Yahoo Sports reported on 10 September 2026 that a standard Amazon Prime subscription, which includes Prime Video and Thursday Night Football, cost $15 a month or $139 a year. reportedas of 2026-09-10

    19. [19]

      All live local and primetime NFL games can be streamed on mobile devices with NFL+. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    20. [20]

      NFL+ is available only in the United States; the NFL directs users outside the US to DAZN. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created with prices from official pages as of 11 October 2026.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Nov 16, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "How to watch the NFL in 2026: TV, streaming and prices compared." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/explain/how-to-watch-nfl-2026

    Spotted an error? Suggest a correction or emailcorrections@contentlora.com.

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