Finding the Kansas City Chiefs on TV shouldn’t be difficult in 2026. The bigger challenge is keeping track of which channel has them. Kansas City is scheduled for six primetime games and at least 10 nationally televised matchups, sending the Chiefs across CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Prime Video and Netflix during the season. That includes a Sunday night opener in Denver, Thanksgiving night in Buffalo and a Christmas Day game against the Broncos.
For Chiefs fans who live outside Kansas City, NFL Sunday Ticket remains important for eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. If you’re traveling and want to access the streaming services you already use while away from home, we’ll also cover how a VPN fits into your Chiefs setup later in this guide. Already looking for a VPN? Skip to our Kansas City Chiefs VPN guide.
Chiefs Football Is Everywhere in 2026
Some NFL teams can get through most of the year with one local network and a streaming subscription. Kansas City isn’t one of them. The Chiefs’ 2026 schedule includes at least 10 nationally televised games, beginning immediately with Sunday Night Football against Denver in Week 1.The national games continue throughout the season:
- NBC gets multiple Chiefs games, including the opener in Denver and Thanksgiving night against Buffalo.
- ESPN has Kansas City’s Monday night trip to Houston.
- Prime Video carries Thursday Night Football against the Rams.
- Netflix gets the Chiefs’ Christmas Day rematch with Denver.
- CBS and FOX handle the remainder of the currently announced schedule.
For Chiefs fans, that means there’s no single streaming service that covers everything. The good news is that Kansas City’s national profile means many of its biggest games will be available across the country without needing NFL Sunday Ticket.
What Do You Actually Need to Watch the Chiefs?
Instead of subscribing to everything immediately, start with the games you won’t already receive.
CBS and FOX
Traditional Sunday afternoon games remain on CBS or FOX. If you live in the Kansas City television market, your local affiliates will carry applicable Chiefs games. Depending on where you live and reception in your area, an over-the-air antenna may cover many of them without a cable subscription.
NBC
NBC is particularly important for Kansas City in 2026 because the Chiefs have several nationally televised games. That includes the Week 1 opener against Denver and the Thanksgiving night game at Buffalo.
ESPN
The Chiefs visit Houston for Monday Night Football in Week 6. You’ll need access to ESPN or a live-TV streaming service carrying ESPN for that matchup.
Prime Video
Kansas City’s Thursday Night Football game comes in Week 11 when the Los Angeles Rams visit Arrowhead. Prime Video is the national streaming home for that game.
Netflix
Yes, Chiefs fans need Netflix again. Kansas City hosts Denver on Christmas Day, giving the Chiefs a second matchup against the Broncos on a completely different platform from their Week 1 meeting.
NFL Sunday Ticket
NFL Sunday Ticket matters most for Chiefs fans who live outside Kansas City’s television market. If Kansas City is playing Sunday afternoon on CBS or FOX but your local affiliate is showing another game, Sunday Ticket carries eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon matchups. National games aren’t part of that problem because they’re already being shown nationally on their designated service.
Kansas City Chiefs 2026 Schedule and TV Channels
Kansas City’s schedule starts with three consecutive games against AFC West opponents before the Chiefs finally leave the division in Week 4.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 13 | at Denver Broncos | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| 2 | Sept. 20 | vs. Los Angeles Chargers | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 27 | at Las Vegas Raiders | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 5 | — | BYE | — | — |
| 6 | Oct. 12 | at Houston Texans | 8:15 PM | ESPN |
| 7 | Oct. 18 | vs. New England Patriots | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| 8 | Oct. 25 | at Tennessee Titans | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Nov. 1 | vs. Indianapolis Colts | 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 10 | Nov. 8 | at New York Giants | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 12 | vs. Los Angeles Rams | 8:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 12 | Nov. 22 | vs. Seattle Seahawks | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| 13 | Nov. 26 | at Buffalo Bills | 8:20 PM | NBC |
| 14 | Dec. 6 | vs. San Francisco 49ers | 4:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Dec. 13 | at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25 PM | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 19 | vs. Arizona Cardinals | 4:30 PM | FOX |
| 17 | Dec. 25 | vs. Denver Broncos | 8:00 PM | Netflix |
| 18 | TBD | vs. Las Vegas Raiders | TBD | TBD |
Week 18’s date, kickoff time and network will be determined later in the season. Games later in the year can also be affected by NFL flexible scheduling.
Five Chiefs Games Worth Planning Around
With Kansas City on national television so frequently, picking the biggest games isn’t easy. These five are particularly worth knowing about ahead of time.
1. Chiefs at Broncos — Week 1
The Chiefs don’t get a warm-up game. Kansas City opens the season in Denver against an AFC West rival on Sunday Night Football. It’s also the beginning of an unusually division-heavy start. After Denver, Kansas City hosts the Chargers and travels to Las Vegas. Three games. Three AFC West opponents. For Chiefs fans, NBC is the place to start the season.
2. Seahawks at Chiefs — Week 12
Seattle’s trip to Kansas City provides one of the more interesting nonconference games on the home schedule. Unlike many of the games surrounding it, this one gets a traditional Sunday afternoon slot: 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX. It also starts an especially difficult part of Kansas City’s schedule. Four days later, the Chiefs have to be in Buffalo for Thanksgiving night.
3. Chiefs at Bills — Thanksgiving Night
There aren’t many regular-season matchups that carry more attention than Kansas City-Buffalo. In 2026, they get the Thanksgiving spotlight. The Chiefs visit Buffalo on Thursday, November 26 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. It’s Kansas City’s second game in five days and comes immediately after Seattle visits Arrowhead. If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, this is one game where I’d make sure your NBC streaming setup is ready before leaving home.
4. 49ers at Chiefs — Week 14
San Francisco visits Kansas City on December 6 for another nationally interesting matchup. The game gets the 4:25 p.m. ET FOX window, placing it in one of Sunday’s most visible afternoon slots. It also comes immediately after Kansas City’s Thanksgiving trip to Buffalo.
5. Broncos at Chiefs — Christmas Day
Kansas City starts its season against Denver. It nearly ends it against Denver, too. The Broncos visit Arrowhead on Christmas Day, but this time you’ll need Netflix. That’s an important distinction because the two Broncos games demonstrate exactly why Chiefs fans can’t rely on one service all season. The Week 1 matchup is on NBC. The Week 17 rematch is on Netflix.
Living Outside Kansas City? Here’s What Changes
Chiefs fans are hardly confined to Missouri and Kansas. If you live elsewhere in the United States, Kansas City’s huge national television schedule actually works in your favor. NBC, ESPN, Prime Video and Netflix games are national broadcasts, so your local Sunday afternoon television market doesn’t determine whether you get them. The situation changes for ordinary CBS and FOX games.
Holiday Travel Could Be the Toughest Part of the Chiefs Schedule
The football itself isn’t the only reason Thanksgiving and Christmas stand out. They’re also two of the busiest travel periods of the year. Kansas City visits Buffalo on Thanksgiving night and hosts Denver on Christmas Day. If you’re spending either holiday away from your normal home setup, you’ll want to know how you’re watching before kickoff.
That’s where a VPN becomes particularly relevant for Chiefs fans. A VPN can help you securely access the streaming services you already use while traveling. It also encrypts your connection when you’re relying on hotel, airport or other public Wi-Fi. And with that, let’s get into the VPN side of the Chiefs season.
Kansas City Chiefs VPN: Watching While Traveling
If you’re searching for a Kansas City Chiefs VPN, the biggest reason we’d recommend one is simple:
Football season doesn’t stop when you leave home. You might be traveling during the Week 1 opener. You could be spending Thanksgiving with family outside Kansas City when the Chiefs play Buffalo. Or you might be in a hotel on Christmas night when Kansas City and Denver kick off on Netflix.
A VPN gives you an encrypted internet connection and can help you access the streaming services you already use while you’re traveling. It’s also useful with streaming services where the programming presented to you can vary depending on your location. For travel, we recommend a VPN.
Best VPN for Kansas City Chiefs Fans: ExpressVPN
Our top choice is ExpressVPN. For sports streaming, we want a VPN that doesn’t turn something simple into a project. ExpressVPN offers straightforward apps, fast connections and support for popular computers, phones and compatible streaming devices. It also offers Kansas City, Missouri as a VPN server location, which is an especially relevant option for Chiefs fans.
For Chiefs fans, we like the combination of:
- Kansas City server availability
- Fast connections for streaming
- U.S. and international server coverage
- Apps for popular devices
- Privacy while traveling
- Simple setup
That’s why ExpressVPN is our preferred VPN for Chiefs fans.
Affiliate Disclosure: VPNForSports may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
How I’d Set Up ExpressVPN Before a Chiefs Game
Don’t make kickoff your installation deadline. If you know you’re traveling, install ExpressVPN on your device beforehand. Sign into the streaming services you expect to use and make sure everything works before leaving.Then, on game day:
- Connect to ExpressVPN. Choose an appropriate server location or allow ExpressVPN to select a suitable connection.
- Check the Chiefs schedule. The service changes considerably this year. Thanksgiving in Buffalo is NBC. Christmas against Denver is Netflix. The Rams game is Prime Video.
- Open your streaming service. Sign into the service you already use and start watching. It’s a simple setup, but doing it before kickoff can save a lot of frustration—particularly when you’re traveling.
What About Sports Betting in Missouri and Kansas?
Missouri and Kansas now has legal sports betting, including licensed online sportsbooks. That makes the Chiefs different from some of the NFL teams we’ve covered where statewide online sportsbook access isn’t available. Chiefs fans interested in legal online sportsbooks can read our FanDuel Sportsbook guide and DraftKings Sportsbook guide for more information about the platforms and where they’re available.
Chiefs VPN and Streaming FAQ
Kansas City appears across CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Prime Video and Netflix in 2026.
Kansas City visits Buffalo on Thanksgiving night. The game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Yes. ExpressVPN offers a Kansas City, Missouri VPN server location, making it particularly relevant for Chiefs fans.
A Chiefs game appearing unavailable doesn’t necessarily mean you’re experiencing a traditional blackout. Your CBS or FOX affiliate may be carrying another regional matchup, the Chiefs could be playing on an exclusive broadcaster, or your streaming service may be restricting access based on location.
If you’re traveling and location is preventing access to a streaming service you normally use, a VPN may help unblock that service. It won’t provide the Chiefs broadcast itself, so you’ll still need access to the network or streaming service carrying the game.
One Chiefs Season, A Lot of Screens
Kansas City being on national television so often is good news for Chiefs fans, but it creates an unusual viewing schedule. The season begins on NBC in Denver. There’s Monday Night Football in Houston, Thursday Night Football against the Rams, Thanksgiving night in Buffalo and Christmas Day against Denver on Netflix.
For most fans, the smartest approach isn’t subscribing to everything imaginable. Start with the channels you already receive, identify the handful of Chiefs games that require something different and fill in the gaps. And if you’re traveling when Kansas City kicks off, a VPN gives you another tool for taking the streaming services you already use with you. That’s especially valuable in 2026 because Chiefs Kingdom may be everywhere—but so are the Chiefs.
