There's no messing around in Week 1, as the 2026 NFL season begins with a Super Bowl rematch and the first ever International Series game in Australia. Add Aaron Donald's comeback, a couple of high-profile quarterback controversies and Patrick Mahomes' injury to the mix, and we already have the makings of an endlessly entertaining campaign.
You can watch NFL 2026 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.
The 2026 NFL season runs from September 9, 2026 to February 14, 2027.
• Australia — 7Plus (FREE select games)
• U.K. — 5 (FREE select games)
• New Zealand — TVNZ Plus (FREE select games)
• U.S. — Twitch (FREE select games)
• Watch anywhere — Try IPVanish — 83% Off
After beating them by 29-13 in the season finale in February, by some quirk of fate the reigning champion Seahawks host the Patriots at Lumen Field in the NFL Kickoff Game. Nether team, however, has had the happiest of preseasons, with Mike Vrabel unhappy with the Pats' depth and Mike Macdonald's men failing to win a single warmup game. The Hawks have also let the "Hard Knocks" crew into the building and we know how that usually goes.
The Rams and 49ers are taking their NFC West rivalry Down Under to the MCG in Melbourne for the first of nine international games this season. It might, however, come too soon for returning star Donald. The three-time defensive player of the year unretired at the end of August, in order to join forces with new acquisition Myles Garrett, but Sean McVay has said he wants to ease Donald back in after two years out of the game.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak has got off on the wrong foot with No.1 pick Fernando Mendoza, while Tua Tagovailoa is in danger of playing himself out of the starting spot for the Falcons. Mahomes, meanwhile, didn't feature at all in preseason, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. Is this the end of the Chiefs dynasty?
Check out all of the TV and streaming details below to find out how to watch NFL 2026 from anywhere, including free options.
Watch NFL live streams for FREE
You can watch select NFL games for free in Australia, the U.K., U.S., New Zealand and Ireland. Find more details below:
Country |
Free streaming service |
NFL coverage |
|---|---|---|
🇦🇺 Australia |
TNF + 2 Sunday games |
|
🇬🇧 U.K. |
2 Sunday games |
|
🇳🇿 New Zealand |
3 games weekly |
|
🇺🇸 U.S. |
TNF |
|
🇮🇪 Ireland |
1 Sunday Game |
Away from home? You may not be able to watch the action like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution — you can use a VPN to unlock free NFL coverage. We’ll show you how below.
Watch NFL 2026 from anywhere
Away from home and blocked from watching the 2026 NFL season?
You can still tune in live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. Ideal for fans away on vacation or on business. One of our favorites is IPVanish:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, IPVanish is one of our favorites.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.S. and want to view an Aussie service, you'd select Australia from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to 7Plus or another streaming service and watch NFL 2026 live.
How to watch NFL 2026 live streams in the U.S.
This season, NFL games are being televised on CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and NFL Network, and live streamed on Twitch, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Fox One, Peacock, ESPN Unlimited and Netflix.
Best ways to watch NFL without cable
The most cost-efficient way of tuning in is via one of the best cable TV alternatives.
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Sling will give you the most bang for your buck, though it doesn't carry CBS. Sling Blue includes NFL Network, and local network affiliates from ABC, FOX and NBC (availability varies by market). Sling Orange carries ESPN and ESPN2. Both plans start at $45.99/month, but you can combine them for $60.99/month — and get 50% off your first month.
YouTube TV is comprehensive but more expensive. It carries ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network, as well as local CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC affiliates. The base subscription costs $82.99/month, but new customers get a 21-day FREE trial and $23 off each of their first three months. RedZone costs an extra $10.99/month.
If you want just about every NFL game — even the out-of-market ones — you can add NFL Sunday Ticket to your subscription. It usually costs $378/year, but right now you can get Sunday Ticket for $240/year on top of YouTube TV.
There's also Hulu + Live TV, which carries all the channels you need and gives you an ESPN Select subscription. However, at $83/month it's pricey, despite the 3-day FREE trial. Depending on what you need, you might be better off combining Sling Blue with ESPN Unlimited.
Another great alternative is Fubo, which carries all the broadcast channels, plus ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network, on its Sports + News plan. It usually costs $64.99/month, but you'll get your first month for $54.99 after a 7-day FREE trial.
Watch NFL via streaming services
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Twitch and Prime Video are home to TNF from Weeks 2 to 17 (excluding Thanksgiving), plus the NFL Black Friday game. Prime Video will also show a Wildcard Round game. Prime Video costs $14.99/month or $139/year after a 30-day FREE trial, but Twitch is free.
CBS simulcasts its coverage of NFL games on Paramount Plus, which starts at $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day FREE trial.
NBC simulcasts its coverage of NFL games on Peacock, which starts at $12.99/month or $129.99/year for a plan that carries live sports.
However, you can get 30 days of Peacock or Paramount Plus for $1 by signing up to Walmart Plus.
ESPN simulcasts its coverage of NFL games on ESPN Unlimited, which carries ESPN Select and all ESPN channels, and costs $31.99/month or $319.99/year, but you can bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu for $35.99/month.
FOX simulcasts its coverage of NFL games on FOX One, which costs $19.99/month or $99.99/year after a 3-day FREE trial.
Finally, Netflix will show the Melbourne game, a Thanksgiving Eve game, a Christmas Day double-header, and a Week 18 game. A subscription starts at $8.99/month.
One final option is NFL Plus, the NFL's own streaming service, which provides access to live local and primetime games. The catch is you can only watch on your phone or tablet. NFL Plus starts at $6.99/month, but offers a $14.99/month Premium tier with access to NFL RedZone on your TV.
How to watch NFL 2026 live streams in the U.K.
Two NFL games are free-to-air in the U.K. each Sunday, courtesy of Channel 5, 5Action and the 5 streaming service. Select International games and the Super Bowl are also shown on the free platform.
Another option is NFL Game Pass on DAZN, which live streams every fixture (apart from London games), plus RedZone. A subscription starts at £18.99/month if you commit to a year, or £179.99 if you pay upfront.
Sky Sports airs at least five live games per week including every TNF, SNF and MNF, and NFL RedZone. Sports packages start from £22/month if you're an existing Sky customer — to sign up anew, check out Sky's TV deals and packages.
If you don't want to shell out for a full Sky subscription, consider a Now Sports Membership instead. This gives you flexible 24-hour access for £14.99 or £34.99/month.
If you're on holiday outside the U.K., you can still follow your usual NFL live streams by using one of the best VPN services, such as IPVanish.
How to watch NFL 2026 live streams in Canada
In Canada, select NFL games are shown on TSN, CTV and French-language RDS each week.
If you don't have cable, a TSN Plus subscription grants access to everything TSN has to offer. Prices start at CA$24.99/month or CA$249.99/year.
Every NFL game is shown on DAZN, which starts at CA$24.99/month.
If you're outside Canada but have a subscription, you can watch NFL with the aid of a VPN, such as IPVanish.
How to watch NFL 2026 live streams in Australia
At least three NFL games are free-to-air in Australia each week, courtesy of 7Mate and the 7Plus streaming service. The network shows every postseason game too.
Near-comprehensive NFL coverage is available via NFL Game Pass on DAZN. It live streams all fixtures (except the Melbourne game), plus RedZone. A subscription starts at AU$34.99/month if you commit to a year, or AU$339.99 if you pay upfront.
At least five live games per week, including every TNF, SNF and MNF, are shown on ESPN via Foxtel.
Don't have Foxtel and don't want to subscribe? ESPN's NFL coverage is available to stream on Kayo Sports, with its affordable, commitment-free plans starting from just AU$30/month, and hosting plenty of NFL, cricket, AFL, rugby, F1 and more.
Anybody who hasn't used the service before can choose between a 7-day FREE trial and 1 month for AU$1.
Alternatively, all NFL games shown on ESPN are available to live stream via Disney Plus too. A subscription starts at AU$9.99/month or AU$179.99/year.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like IPVanish to watch all the action on your account as if you were back home.
NFL Week 1 schedule 2026
Wednesday, September 9
8:20 p.m. — Patriots vs Seahawks (NBC, Peacock)
Thursday, September 10
8:35 p.m. — 49ers vs Rams (Netflix)
Sunday, September 13
1 p.m. — Ravens vs Colts (CBS, Paramount Plus)
1 p.m. — Bills vs Texans (CBS, Paramount Plus)
1 p.m. — Browns vs Jaguars (CBS, Paramount Plus)
1 p.m. — Jets vs Titans (CBS, Paramount Plus)
1 p.m. — Falcons vs Steelers (FOX, Fox One)
1 p.m. — Bears vs Panthers (FOX, Fox One)
1 p.m. — Saints vs Lions (FOX, Fox One)
1 p.m. — Buccaneers vs Bengals (FOX, Fox One)
4:25 p.m. — Cardinals vs Chargers (CBS, Paramount Plus)
4:25 p.m. — Packers vs Vikings (CBS, Paramount Plus)
4:25 p.m. — Dolphins vs Raiders (FOX, Fox One)
4:25 p.m. — Commanders vs Eagles (FOX, Fox One)
8:20 p.m. — Cowboys vs Giants (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, September 14
8:15 p.m. — Broncos vs Chiefs (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Unlimited)
(All times ET)
Who's showing Super Bowl LXI?
Super Bowl LXI (aka Super Bowl 61), will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday, February 14, 2027.
The game will be televised on both ESPN and ABC.
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