The New England Patriots live stream and TV schedule for 2026 is far more national than a typical season.
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New England opens against Seattle in a rare Wednesday night Super Bowl rematch, plays two Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video, faces Detroit in Munich on FOX, visits the Chargers for Sunday Night Football and travels to Kansas City for Monday Night Football.
CBS still carries eight confirmed games, while Weeks 17 and 18 remain unresolved.
For complete league-wide viewing options, see our Surprise Sports NFL Guide.
The Patriots Start the NFL Season on a Wednesday Night
New England’s first broadcast is also its most unusual.
The Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET, with NBC carrying the game nationally.
It is a Super Bowl LX rematch and the first regular-season Wednesday game in Patriots history. It is also the NFL’s first Week 1 Super Bowl rematch since Denver and Carolina opened the 2016 season against each other.
Wednesday football itself is extremely rare. The Patriots noted that the NFL previously opened a season on Wednesday in 2012, when Giants-Cowboys was moved from Thursday because of a scheduling conflict.
For viewers, the key point is simpler: Patriots-Seahawks is an NBC national game, so NFL Sunday Ticket is not needed.
New England Patriots 2026 Schedule and TV Channels
Indianapolis Colts
13
New England Patriots
13
Philadelphia Eagles
21
New England Patriots
24
New England Patriots
13
Cleveland Browns
37
New England Patriots
10
Seattle Seahawks
13
Pittsburgh Steelers
3
New England Patriots
20
New England Patriots
6
Jacksonville Jaguars
35
New England Patriots
29
Buffalo Bills
26
Las Vegas Raiders
17
New England Patriots
45
New York Jets
19
New England Patriots
26
New England Patriots
24
Chicago Bears
30
New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
Detroit Lions
New England Patriots
Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo Bills
New England Patriots
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
Six Patriots Games Receive National TV Treatment
New England officially announced six nationally televised games for the 2026 regular season. Five are prime-time games, while the sixth is the early Sunday international game in Munich.
The national schedule consists of:
- Patriots at Seahawks — NBC, Wednesday night
- Patriots at Bears — Prime Video, Thursday night
- Patriots vs. Lions in Munich — FOX
- Patriots at Chargers — NBC, Sunday night
- Vikings at Patriots — Prime Video, Thursday night
- Patriots at Chiefs — ESPN, Monday night
The Munich game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET, so it is nationally distributed without being a prime-time broadcast.
That distinction explains why the Patriots describe themselves as having six nationally televised games but five initial prime-time games.
CBS Takes Over After Opening Night
Once the Seattle opener is finished, New England settles into one of the most consistent network stretches on its schedule.
Five consecutive Patriots games from Weeks 2 through 6 are scheduled for CBS at 1:00 p.m. ET:
- Week 2: Steelers at Patriots
- Week 3: Patriots at Jaguars
- Week 4: Patriots at Bills
- Week 5: Raiders at Patriots
- Week 6: Jets at Patriots
The Patriots’ own schedule analysis highlights that New England has five straight 1:00 p.m. games during this stretch and then does not play another early Sunday game until Week 16.
For New England-area viewers, WBZ is listed as the local affiliate for these CBS games.
Paramount+ can also stream the live local CBS game available in a subscriber’s market.
Patriots-Bears is Thursday Night Football on Prime Video
The five-game CBS run ends in Week 7.
New England visits the Chicago Bears on Thursday, October 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the game streaming nationally on Prime Video.
This is the Patriots’ first of two Thursday Night Football appearances.
It also gives New England a short turnaround after hosting the Jets four days earlier.
The viewing change is significant:
- Jets at Patriots: CBS
- Patriots at Bears: Prime Video
NFL Sunday Ticket does not replace Prime Video for the Chicago game because it is a nationally distributed Thursday night broadcast.
Packers-Patriots is the First FOX Game
New England returns to CBS after Chicago for its Week 8 game at Miami, but the network changes again the following week.
The Green Bay Packers visit Gillette Stadium on Sunday, November 8 at 4:25 p.m. ET, with FOX carrying the matchup.
It is the Patriots’ first standard FOX game of the season.
The second FOX broadcast comes only seven days later—but from Germany rather than Foxborough.
Patriots vs. Lions in Munich is on FOX
The Patriots face the Detroit Lions at FC Bayern Munich Arena on Sunday, November 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
FOX has the US television broadcast, while the NFL also lists FOX One and NFL+ as viewing options for the international game.
Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. local time in Munich.
This will be New England’s sixth international regular-season game and its second in Germany. The Patriots previously played Indianapolis in Frankfurt in 2023, in addition to three London games and one Mexico City appearance.
The Munich matchup is also the sixth NFL regular-season game held in Germany and the third played in Munich.
For US viewers, this game should not be confused with an NFL Network international broadcast. Patriots-Lions is specifically assigned to FOX.
- Related Game: Miami Dolphins Games on TV: Live Stream & Broadcast
The Patriots Get Their Bye Immediately After Germany
New England has its bye in Week 11, directly after the Munich trip.
That creates a significant break between two nationally televised games:
- Nov. 15: Lions in Munich — FOX
- Nov. 22: Bye
- Nov. 29: at Chargers — NBC
The Patriots then enter their most nationally visible stretch of the season.
Patriots at Chargers is Sunday Night Football
New England returns from the bye against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, November 29 at 8:20 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium.
NBC carries the game nationally as Sunday Night Football.
This matchup is particularly notable because the Patriots faced the Chargers during their 2025 postseason run.
The Patriots’ schedule release identifies Los Angeles as one of three 2025 playoff opponents New England will face again in 2026.
Peacock is the streaming option associated with NBC’s Sunday Night Football coverage, and the Patriots’ viewing page directs fans there for NBC games.
Bills-Patriots Gets the 4:25 CBS Window
Buffalo visits Gillette Stadium one week later.
The Bills play the Patriots on Sunday, December 6 at 4:25 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the AFC East matchup.
The first Bills-Patriots game is also on CBS:
- Oct. 4 at Buffalo: CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Dec. 6 at New England: CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET
The second meeting therefore receives the more prominent late-afternoon window.
For fans outside the Patriots’ regional broadcast territory, Sunday Ticket may be needed if CBS in their market selects another Sunday afternoon game.
Vikings at Patriots Is New England’s Second Prime Video Game
Only four days after Buffalo, New England plays again.
The Minnesota Vikings visit Gillette Stadium on Thursday, December 10 at 8:15 p.m. ET, with Prime Video carrying the national stream.
It is the Patriots’ second Thursday Night Football appearance:
- Oct. 22 at Bears: Prime Video
- Dec. 10 vs. Vikings: Prime Video
New England’s schedule release notes that this is the first season since 2022 in which the Patriots have two scheduled Thursday games.
The Minnesota matchup also begins back-to-back prime-time appearances.
Patriots at Chiefs is Monday Night Football
New England’s fifth and final initially scheduled prime-time game comes at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Patriots visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, December 21 at 8:15 p.m. ET, with ESPN carrying Monday Night Football. Local Patriots listings also identify WCVB for the game.
New England therefore moves between national platforms during its late-season stretch:
- Chargers: NBC
- Bills: CBS
- Vikings: Prime Video
- Chiefs: ESPN
The Patriots then return to CBS for their final currently fixed road game.
CBS Carries Eight Confirmed Patriots Games
Across the full initial schedule, New England has eight confirmed CBS broadcasts:
- Steelers at Patriots
- Patriots at Jaguars
- Patriots at Bills
- Raiders at Patriots
- Jets at Patriots
- Patriots at Dolphins
- Bills at Patriots
- Patriots at Jets
FOX currently has two:
- Packers at Patriots
- Patriots vs. Lions in Munich
The remaining confirmed games are split between NBC, Prime Video and ESPN.
For a local Patriots viewer, that makes CBS the traditional network required most often.
For an out-of-market fan, those CBS and FOX Sunday afternoon games are also where NFL Sunday Ticket becomes most important.
The Patriots’ official viewing guide identifies Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV for out-of-market Sunday afternoon games.
Broncos and Dolphins Games Are Still TBD
New England closes the regular season with two consecutive games at Gillette Stadium, but neither broadcast has been finalized.
Week 17: Broncos at Patriots
Denver visits New England in a rematch of the previous season’s AFC Championship Game. The exact date, kickoff time and television network are still TBD.
The NFL can place designated Week 17 games into Saturday, Sunday or other eligible national windows depending on late-season scheduling decisions.
Week 18: Dolphins at Patriots
Miami visits Foxborough for the regular-season finale, with the date, time and network also TBD.
It will be the 19th time the Patriots and Dolphins have met in New England’s regular-season finale and the second consecutive season they have closed against each other.
Week 18 assignments will be made after Week 17.
Watching Patriots Games in the UK
UK Patriots fans can use NFL Game Pass on DAZN, which provides every regular-season game along with the playoffs and Super Bowl. Sky Sports NFL also carries extensive live NFL coverage, including Sunday, Monday and Thursday Night Football.
The Munich game is especially convenient for European viewers because it starts at 3:30 p.m. local time in Germany rather than overnight.
Watching Patriots Games in Canada
Canadian viewers can use NFL Game Pass on DAZN for every NFL game from preseason through the postseason. CTV carries Sunday afternoon games, while TSN carries the league’s prime-time packages, including Monday, Sunday and Thursday Night Football.
That makes TSN particularly relevant to New England’s Seattle, Chicago, Chargers, Minnesota and Kansas City national windows, while DAZN provides the more complete full-season option.
FAQs
What channel is Patriots vs. Seahawks in Week 1?
New England visits Seattle on Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET, with the Super Bowl LX rematch scheduled nationally on NBC. It is the first Wednesday regular-season game in Patriots history.
What channel is Patriots vs. Lions in Munich?
The Patriots face Detroit at FC Bayern Munich Arena on Sunday, November 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET, with FOX carrying the US television broadcast. The NFL also lists FOX One and NFL+ among the viewing options.
Where can I watch Patriots vs. Bears on Thursday Night Football?
New England visits Chicago on Thursday, October 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET, and the national stream is on Prime Video.
How many Patriots games are on CBS in 2026?
New England currently has eight confirmed CBS games, including both Buffalo matchups, both Jets games and Sunday contests against Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Miami.
What channel is Dolphins vs. Patriots in Week 18?
The network has not been announced. Miami visits New England in Week 18, but the date, kickoff time and television assignment remain TBD and will be finalized after Week 17.
Patriots TV Outlook for 2026
New England’s 2026 broadcast calendar combines a CBS-heavy regional schedule with some of the NFL’s most unusual national windows.
The Patriots open the entire season on Wednesday night against Seattle on NBC, then later appear twice on Prime Video, return to Germany for a FOX game against Detroit, visit the Chargers on NBC Sunday Night Football, and travel to Kansas City for ESPN Monday Night Football.
CBS remains the weekly backbone with eight confirmed games. The only major broadcast questions left are the final two home dates against Denver and Miami, both of which remain unassigned.
