Here’s how you can watch every NFL Week 1 preseason game
Here’s how you can watch every NFL Week 1 preseason game
The NFL preseason gets underway in earnest on Thursday night, and all 32 teams will take to the field this weekend.
After the NFL opened its preseason slate last week with the Hall of Fame game, the rest of the league gets into the action this weekend as Week 1 of the preseason kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 13, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 15. All 32 teams — including the Cardinals and Panthers who played last week — will be on the field over the next few days. This will be the first chance for fans to see what their favorite team looks like following the NFL Draft and free agency. Hope springs eternal in the preseason, but how long will it last? All of the Week 1 NFL preseason games will air on local affiliates of major broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. We recommend watching with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
How to watch the 2026 NFL preseason
- When: Thursday, Aug. 13-Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026
- TV: Local channels
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 NFL preseason
What is the schedule of 2026 NFL preseason Week 1?
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Broadcast Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 1 p.m. | Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills | Charlotte: WJZY, Buffalo: WIVB, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 1 p.m. | Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears | Cleveland: WEWS, Chicago: WFLD, NFL Network, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 1 p.m. | Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants | Minneapolis: KMSP, New York: WNBC, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 4 p.m. | Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs | Los Angeles: KCBS, Kansas City: KSHB, NFL Network, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 4 p.m. | Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints | Jacksonville: WJAX, New Orleans: WVUE, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens | Philadelphia: WCAU, Baltimore: WBAL, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ |
| Saturday, Aug. 15 | 8 p.m. | Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks | Dallas: KTVT, Seattle: KING, NFL Network, NFL+ |
Why watch the 2026 NFL preseason on DIRECTV?
DIRECTV is our favorite choice for watching NFL preseason games in 2026 because it offers all the channels you’ll need to watch games plus ESPN Unlimited access in its MySports Genre Pack. This plan comes with 20+ sports channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC in nearly all markets, plus ESPN and NFL Network.
Normally, this plan costs $65 per month, but it’s discounted to just $50 for a new subscriber’s first two months for a limited time. That will take you not only through the NFL preseason, but a month into the regular season as well!
Watch all games from the 2026 NFL preseason with DIRECTV’s MySports Genre Pack, or upgrade to a CHOICE plan starting at $95 per month if you’re looking for a package of 100+ channels! Plus, all DIRECTV streaming plans received through the service’s app on your own device offer a five-day free trial for new subscribers.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2026 NFL preseason for free?
There is no streamer that will let you watch the entirety of the NFL preseason for free. But, like DIRECTV, a few offer free trials with which you can stream at least some games at no cost.
Fubo carries ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network in its Pro and Elite packages, and all of those channels save NBC are included in the Fubo Sports service. Fubo offers a free trial of between one and seven days, depending on factors such as what time of month you subscribe and others.
Hulu + Live TV includes a three-day free trial, after which its core package with the Disney Bundle thrown in costs $90 per month.
YouTube TV has all the channels you need to watch NFL preseason games in its core package, as well as its Sports Genre Plan. Its free trial can last between two and 21 days, depending on several variables.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | + $19 | + $11 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Watch a preview of NFL preseason Week 1
See all the services you can use to watch the 2026 NFL preseason
The 2026 NFL preseason can be watched on DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Sling TV carries ABC, Fox, and NBC in a select number of markets in its Blue and Select plans, which also feature NFL Network. Sling Orange carries ESPN, but if you’re looking for an all-in-one experience to watch every game, Sling is probably not the best choice. DIRECTV is our favorite option, as we laid out above.
Paramount+ includes a live stream of local CBS stations with its Premium plan. Viewers will be able to watch in-market NFL preseason games with a subscription, as well as one nationally televised game on CBS. Paramount+ Premium costs $13 per month, and the Essential tier ($9 per month) will carry the nationally broadcast Bengals vs. Eagles game on Aug. 28.
Peacock offers live streams of NBC stations on its ad-free Premium Plus plan, costing $17 per month. It will also stream any games appearing nationally on NBC, such as the Hall of Fame Game, on its Premium plan for $11 per month.
ESPN Unlimited will stream any NFL preseason games appearing on the national ESPN channel. Its plans start at $30 per month, and fans can bundle it with Disney+, Hulu, and other services as well, although there are no games airing on ESPN during Week 1. Similarly, Fox One will stream the Seahawks vs. Titans game on Aug. 23, but will not offer streams of locally televised preseason games on Fox. Its plans start at $20 per month.
NFL+ allows fans to watch live out-of-market preseason games on both mobile devices and connected TV players, though in-market games are blacked out on the service. An NFL+ subscription starts at $7 per month.
NFL+
NFL+ allows fans to watch live local and primetime games on mobile and tablet devices. And with an NFL+ Premium subscription, you can watch replays of every single game without ads, condensed game replays, and coaches film. The service also allows fans to choose their audio stream (home, away, and national calls). The Premium plan also includes NFL RedZone on TV.
How to watch the 2026 NFL preseason from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch parts of the NFL preseason as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action, no matter where you are in the world, with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer to make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like DIRECTV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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