The 2026 Premier League season has finally arrived!
The 2026 Premier League season has finally arrived!
See how to stream opening weekend of the English Premier League season from start to finish.
It has been a great summer for soccer fans. On the heels of the World Cup, it is finally time to get back into competitive league play. The 2026 English Premier League season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. ET, and game action will continue through Monday. Games will air on NBC, NBC Sports Network, Peacock, and USA Network, so to watch it all, you’ll need a combination of streamers. We recommend watching it with a combo of Peacock and DIRECTV.
How to watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend
- When: Starting Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC, NBC Sports Network, Peacock, and USA Network
- Stream: Watch with DIRECTV and Peacock.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 English Premier League season opening weekend
What is the schedule of 2026 English Premier League opening weekend matches?
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Aug. 21 | 3 p.m. | Arsenal vs. Coventry City | USA Network |
| Saturday, Aug. 22 | 7:30 a.m. | Hull City vs. Manchester United | USA Network |
| 10 a.m. | Everton vs. Crystal Palace | USA Network | |
| 10 a.m. | Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds United | Peacock, NBC Sports Network | |
| 10 a.m. | Ipswich Town vs. Sunderland | Peacock, NBC Sports Network | |
| 12:30 p.m. | Brentford vs. Spurs | NBC, Peacock | |
| Sunday, Aug. 23 | 9 a.m. | Manchester City vs. Bournemouth | USA Network |
| 9 a.m. | Brighton vs. Aston Villa | Peacock | |
| 11:30 a.m. | Newcastle vs. Liverpool | USA Network | |
| Monday, Aug. 24 | 3 p.m. | Fulham vs. Chelsea | USA Network |
Why watch the weekend’s English Premier League matches with DIRECTV and Peacock?
DIRECTV’s MySports Genre Pack is the ideal way to watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend on NBC and USA Network. Both channels are included, as well as ABC, CBS, Fox, and cable sports networks like ESPN, FS1, TNT, and others. It normally costs $65 per month, but for a limited time, new customers can get their first two months for $50 each. The package also has a five-day free trial for new subscribers.
Peacock will host a selection of exclusive games this weekend, as it has all season long. Viewers can watch multiple Premier League games at once with Peacock’s multiview, watch shoulder coverage, and stream other live sports like NFL games with the Premium plan, which costs $13 per month. Any EPL games on NBC and NBC Sports Network will stream live on Peacock, but games on USA Network will not. To stream every game from the weekend’s slate, you’ll have to have Peacock as well as a TV package with USA Network.
-
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.
-
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Can you watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend for free?
DIRECTV isn’t the only service that offers NBC, NBC Sports Network, and USA Network and comes with a free trial.
Fubo has NBC in its Pro and Elite packages, costing $89 and $99 per month, respectively. Each comes with a free trial that can last between one and seven days, depending on several factors, such as what time you sign up. Hulu + Live TV offers the same channels in its lone channel package, costing $90 per month after a three-day free trial. All plans starting at $90 include the Disney Bundle at no extra cost.
YouTube TV has NBC, NBC Sports Network, and USA Network in its Sports Genre Plan and its core package. Both plans come with a free trial between two and 21 days, with several variables at play.
All the services you can use to watch 2026 English Premier League opening weekend
Viewers can watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend with DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. DIRECTV is our favorite of these, though you’ll still have to combine it with Peacock to watch all the weekend’s matches.
Sling TV only carries NBC in a small handful of markets in its Blue and Select plans. USA Network is also in the Blue plan, which costs $46 per month, but includes a surcharge in areas where local channels like NBC are available.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| NBC | + $19 | + $11 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Network | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| USA Network | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Preview the 2026-27 English Premier League season
How to watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 English Premier League opening weekend 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 and 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 and a Peacock subscription in order to stream the matches with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN 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.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
Live TV Streaming Find out more >
Service Matchmaker
Our Matchmaker lets you compare multiple channels across all live TV streaming services. Just tell us what you watch and we’ll handle the rest.
