The Cincinnati Bengals enter 2026 with one of the NFL’s most recognizable offensive cores still intact. Joe Burrow. Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins. But this year’s schedule takes them well beyond a normal run through the AFC. Cincinnati will play in Madrid, face Pittsburgh under the lights, spend New Year’s Eve against Baltimore and finish the regular season with the Battle of Ohio at Paycor Stadium. For Bengals fans, watching every game means keeping track of CBS and FOX along with NBC, ESPN, Prime Video and NFL Network. And if you’re traveling during the season, a VPN can help you access the streaming services you already use while you’re away from home.
Your Bengals Viewing Setup in 30 Seconds
- Watching around Cincinnati? CBS and FOX carry most traditional Sunday games, while national games move to their designated networks and streaming services.
- Living outside the Bengals TV market? NFL Sunday Ticket carries eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon games that aren’t being shown by your local CBS or FOX affiliate.
- Traveling during a Bengals game? We recommend ExpressVPN for accessing the streaming services you already use while traveling and protecting your connection on unfamiliar Wi-Fi.
- No cable? Streaming services can cover much of the schedule depending on your location.
Affiliate Disclosure: VPNForSports may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
The Bengals You’re Watching in 2026
For all the changes that happen around an NFL roster, Cincinnati’s offensive identity remains easy to recognize. It starts with Joe Burrow, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins still giving Cincinnati one of football’s most dangerous receiving combinations. Chase enters 2026 after another 1,000-yard season, while Higgins remains alongside him to keep the Burrow-Chase-Higgins core together.
The bigger changes are on defense. Cincinnati added significant pieces to the defensive front, including Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe, giving the Bengals a different-looking group on the other side of the ball. That creates one of the biggest questions surrounding Cincinnati this season. We already know what the Bengals can look like when Burrow and his receivers are rolling. If the revamped defense can give that offense more help, Cincinnati becomes a much more difficult team to deal with over 17 games.
Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Schedule and TV Channels
The Bengals begin and end the regular season at Paycor Stadium, with a Week 6 bye separating the early portion of the schedule from a particularly interesting fall.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV / Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 13 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 2 | Sept. 20 | at Houston Texans | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 27 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 11 | at Miami Dolphins | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 6 | — | BYE | — | — |
| 7 | Oct. 25 | at Baltimore Ravens | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | vs. Tennessee Titans | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Nov. 8 | vs. Atlanta Falcons — Madrid | 9:30 AM | NFL Network |
| 10 | Nov. 15 | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 23 | at Washington Commanders | 8:15 PM | ESPN |
| 12 | Nov. 29 | vs. New Orleans Saints | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 13 | Dec. 6 | at Cleveland Browns | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 13 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Dec. 20 | at Carolina Panthers | 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 16 | TBD | at Indianapolis Colts | TBD | TBD |
| 17 | Dec. 31 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 18 | TBD | vs. Cleveland Browns | TBD | TBD |
Week 16 and Week 18 details will be finalized later, and late-season games can be affected by NFL flex scheduling.
The Rival Matchups That Define Cincinnati’s Schedule
The Bengals don’t need manufactured rivalries. Three are already waiting on the schedule.
Bengals vs. Steelers: From Pittsburgh to Sunday Night
September 27 — at Pittsburgh — CBS
November 15 — vs. Pittsburgh — NBC
Cincinnati’s first divisional game sends the Bengals to Pittsburgh in Week 3. The rematch gets a considerably bigger stage. Pittsburgh comes to Paycor Stadium on November 15 for Sunday Night Football, putting the second Bengals-Steelers matchup in front of a national audience. The broadcast difference matters for fans, too. The September meeting is a regional CBS Sunday game, while the November rematch is nationally televised on NBC.
Bengals vs. Ravens: New Year’s Eve in Cincinnati
October 25 — at Baltimore — CBS
December 31 — vs. Baltimore — Prime Video
Baltimore gets Cincinnati immediately after the Bengals’ Week 6 bye. Then the Ravens come to Cincinnati for something much less ordinary: New Year’s Eve football. The Bengals host Baltimore on Thursday, December 31 at 8:15 p.m. ET, streaming nationally on Prime Video. If the AFC North remains tight late in the season, spending the final night of 2026 watching Bengals-Ravens could mean considerably more than another rivalry game.
Bengals vs. Browns: The Battle of Ohio Comes Late
December 6 — at Cleveland — CBS
Week 18 — vs. Cleveland — TBD
Cincinnati doesn’t see Cleveland until December. Then it gets the Browns twice during the closing stretch of the season. The first Battle of Ohio comes in Cleveland. The second closes Cincinnati’s regular season at Paycor Stadium. Instead of getting the in-state rivalry out of the way early, the Bengals could be facing Cleveland with playoff positioning—or even the division—still unresolved.
Our VPN Pick for Bengals Fans
If you’re traveling during the season, our choice is ExpressVPN. It offers fast connections, apps for popular devices and a large U.S. and international server network. ExpressVPN also offers Columbus, Ohio as a selectable location. More importantly, it’s easy to use when you’re away from your normal setup: Connect to an appropriate server → open the streaming service you already use → find the Bengals game. You’ll still need access to the service carrying the game. A VPN doesn’t replace CBS, FOX, NFL Network, Prime Video or another subscription. ExpressVPN also encrypts your connection, making it useful on hotel, airport and other unfamiliar Wi-Fi after the game is over.
Bengals Game-Day Questions
Yes. A VPN can help you access the streaming services you already use while you’re away from home and encrypt your connection on unfamiliar Wi-Fi.
Yes. Depending on your location, an antenna and streaming services can cover much of Cincinnati’s schedule. NFL Sunday Ticket can fill eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon gaps.
Yes, but NFL viewing options vary by country. If you live outside the United States, check the NFL broadcaster or streaming service available in your country. If you’re a U.S. viewer traveling internationally, a VPN can help you access the streaming services you already use while away from home.
It depends on why Cincinnati is unavailable. If you’re traveling and your normal streaming service is geo-restricted, a VPN may help unblock your Bengals stream. If CBS or FOX is simply carrying another NFL game where you’re located, that’s more likely an out-of-market coverage issue. Check NFL Sunday Ticket for eligible Bengals games instead.
There’s Plenty to Watch in Cincinnati This Year
Burrow still has Chase and Higgins. Cincinnati has invested in changing the defense around them. And the schedule gives Bengals fans just about every kind of game they could ask for. There’s Pittsburgh under the lights. Baltimore on New Year’s Eve. Two late-season Battles of Ohio. Kansas City coming to Paycor Stadium. And right in the middle of everything, Cincinnati takes the Jungle all the way to Madrid. The Bengals have the talent to make every one of those dates interesting. Now they have to turn it into the season Cincinnati has been waiting for. Who Dey.
