Watching NFL games in 2026 can get complicated quickly. Sunday afternoon games are split across CBS and FOX, out-of-market fans may need NFL Sunday Ticket, and primetime football is spread across Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and ESPN/ABC. Add NFL+, NFL RedZone, Netflix, NFL Network, and special broadcasts throughout the season, and there is no single service that every football fan needs. This is the VPNForSports guide to watching the NFL in 2026. We’ll explain where games are shown, how local and out-of-market coverage works, which services make sense for different types of fans, and where a VPN fits into your game-day setup. If you already know which team you want to follow, use our Find Your NFL Team section below for individual guides to all 32 franchises.
Best VPN for NFL Fans: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our top VPN pick for the 2026 NFL season. A VPN isn’t a replacement for NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL+, Prime Video or another streaming subscription. Its primary job is to create an encrypted connection between your device and the VPN server, providing additional online privacy. That can be particularly useful during a long football season when you might watch games at home one week and from a hotel, airport or other public Wi-Fi network the next.
Why We Recommend ExpressVPN for NFL Fans
ExpressVPN currently offers:
- Servers in 113 countries
- 214+ server locations
- Apps for computers, phones, tablets and popular TV platforms
- Up to 10, 12 or 14 simultaneous connections, depending on your plan
- Lightway protocol designed for fast and reliable connections
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 24/7 customer support
- 30-day money-back guarantee for eligible new customers
That’s a useful combination for NFL fans who may have football running across several devices throughout the weekend.
Affiliate Disclosure: VPNForSports may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Find Your NFL Team
Want to follow one team throughout the 2026 season? Choose your team below for its current schedule, TV networks, streaming options, and VPN guide.
These individual guides are where we cover team-specific schedules and viewing situations. That lets this main NFL guide focus on understanding how NFL viewing works across the league while giving you a quick way to find information about your favorite team.
How to Watch NFL Games in 2026
The easiest way to figure out where to watch is to start with when and how the game is being distributed.
| What You Want to Watch | Where to Start |
|---|---|
| Local Sunday afternoon games | CBS / FOX |
| Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games | NFL Sunday Ticket |
| Thursday Night Football | Prime Video |
| Sunday Night Football | NBC / Peacock |
| Monday Night Football | ESPN / ABC |
| Local and primetime mobile games | NFL+ |
| NFL RedZone | NFL+ Premium / participating providers |
| Select special games | Netflix / NFL Network / designated broadcaster |
There is no reason to subscribe to every service simply because it carries football. The right setup depends on which team you follow, where you live, and whether you want one team’s games or football from around the league.
Local vs. Out-of-Market NFL Games
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion for NFL fans. Most Sunday afternoon CBS and FOX games are distributed regionally, which means having CBS or FOX does not automatically let you choose any NFL game airing on that network. For example, imagine you’re a Buffalo Bills fan living in Tennessee. Buffalo plays at 1:00 PM on CBS, but your local CBS affiliate is showing another AFC game. You have CBS, but the Bills game is still out of market for you. That’s the situation NFL Sunday Ticket is designed to address.
Nationally distributed games work differently. If Buffalo is playing Sunday Night Football on NBC, that’s a national primetime broadcast rather than a normal regional Sunday afternoon game. Once you understand the difference between local, out-of-market, and national games, choosing the right NFL services becomes much easier.
NFL Sunday Ticket vs. NFL+ vs. NFL RedZone
Sunday Ticket, NFL+, and RedZone sound like competing NFL products, but they solve different problems.
| Service | Best For |
|---|---|
| NFL Sunday Ticket | Eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon games |
| NFL+ | Mobile NFL access, NFL Network, and game audio |
| NFL+ Premium | RedZone and expanded game replays |
NFL Sunday Ticket
NFL Sunday Ticket is most useful for fans who follow a team outside their local television market. A Packers fan living in Florida or a Steelers fan living in California may regularly find another game on the local CBS or FOX affiliate. Sunday Ticket provides access to eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games and is available through YouTube and YouTube TV.
It does not replace every other NFL service. If your team plays Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, or another specially distributed game, you’ll need access to the service carrying that particular broadcast.
NFL+
NFL+ is the NFL’s own streaming service and includes features such as live local and primetime games on supported mobile devices, NFL Network, live game audio, out-of-market preseason games, and additional NFL programming. NFL+ Premium adds NFL RedZone and expanded game replay options.
Read our NFL+ VPN and Streaming Guide
NFL RedZone
NFL RedZone is designed for fans who want to follow action from around the league instead of watching one complete game. It moves between Sunday afternoon games as teams approach scoring opportunities, making it especially popular with fantasy football players and fans who spend the entire afternoon following the league.
If your primary goal is watching one out-of-market team from kickoff through the final whistle, Sunday Ticket serves a different purpose.
Where to Watch Primetime NFL Games
You don’t need separate explanations for every night of the week. Here’s the basic 2026 setup:
| NFL Broadcast | Primary Home |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night Football | Prime Video |
| Sunday Night Football | NBC / Peacock |
| Monday Night Football | ESPN / ABC |
| Select special games | Netflix / NFL Network / designated broadcaster |
Late-season schedules deserve extra attention because flexible scheduling can affect certain games. International games, holiday games, and late-season Saturday matchups can also fall outside the normal Thursday-Sunday-Monday schedule, so it’s worth checking the official NFL schedule when a game is being played at an unusual time.
Which NFL Streaming Setup Is Right for You?
If you follow your local team, start with local CBS and FOX access and then look at your team’s primetime schedule. Depending on the season, you may also need Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC, or another service for specific games. You may not need Sunday Ticket at all.
If you live away from your favorite team, Sunday Ticket becomes much more important because your local CBS and FOX affiliates will prioritize games for your current television market. Use the Find Your NFL Team table above to check your team’s individual schedule and viewing guide.
If you want football all Sunday, NFL RedZone may be particularly useful. NFL+ Premium includes RedZone along with expanded replay features. If you mostly watch primetime games instead, Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and ESPN/ABC may matter more to you than Sunday Ticket.
The goal isn’t to subscribe to everything. It’s to build the setup that gives you the games you actually want to watch.
Why Use a VPN During NFL Season?
A VPN doesn’t give you access to NFL games. It protects your internet connection while you use legitimate streaming services, which can be particularly useful when you’re away from your normal home network.
NFL season overlaps with vacations, business trips, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you find yourself watching from a hotel, airport, coffee shop, or another shared Wi-Fi network, a VPN encrypts the traffic traveling between your device and the VPN server. Before watching while traveling, check which service carries the game and whether your subscription is available at your destination.
NFL Sundays can also be a multi-screen experience. You may have a game on the television, RedZone on a tablet, fantasy football on your laptop, and scores on your phone. ExpressVPN supports multiple simultaneous connections, with the exact number depending on your plan.
What About NFL Blackouts?
If you’ve visited VPNForSports in previous NFL seasons, you may remember older versions of this guide discussing NFL blackouts much more heavily. The NFL viewing landscape has changed significantly, and there are now dedicated services for different viewing situations.
If you want an eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon game, NFL Sunday Ticket is designed for that situation. If you want your local Sunday game, start with CBS or FOX. For nationally distributed games, use the network or streaming service carrying that broadcast.
We now recommend using a VPN primarily for privacy and security alongside legitimate NFL streaming services, rather than treating a VPN as a replacement for the NFL’s viewing products.
NFL Sportsbook Guides
If sportsbooks are also part of your NFL Sundays, VPNForSports covers several of the largest U.S. platforms. Our guides can help you compare sportsbook features, NFL markets, promotions, and other differences between the major services.
| Sportsbook | Our Guide |
|---|---|
| DraftKings Sportsbook | DraftKings Sportsbook Guide |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | FanDuel Sportsbook Guide |
| BetMGM Sportsbook | BetMGM Sportsbook Guide |
Sportsbook availability varies by jurisdiction.
NFL VPN and Streaming FAQ
Our current recommendation is ExpressVPN because of its combination of privacy features, broad device support, server coverage, and speed-focused technology.
No. NFL Sunday Ticket focuses on eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. NFL+ offers different NFL content and mobile viewing features, while NFL+ Premium adds NFL RedZone and expanded replay options.
Thursday Night Football is primarily available on Prime Video during the regular season.
NFL+ Premium includes NFL RedZone during the regular season. RedZone is also available through participating television and streaming providers.
A VPN can add privacy and security to your internet connection while using legitimate streaming services. It does not provide a Sunday Ticket subscription.
Your Home for the 2026 NFL Season
There is no single answer to “How do I watch the NFL?” It depends on your favorite team, where you live, and how you like to watch football.
Local Sunday games start with CBS and FOX, while out-of-market Sunday afternoon fans should understand NFL Sunday Ticket. Primetime football is spread across Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and ESPN/ABC, while NFL+, RedZone, Netflix, NFL Network, and other services fill different roles throughout the season.
That’s why the Find Your NFL Team section remains a central part of this page. Choose your team from the table above for its individual 2026 schedule and viewing guide.
If you also want additional privacy while streaming—particularly while traveling or using public Wi-Fi—ExpressVPN is our top VPN pick for NFL fans in 2026.
How to Watch Your NFL Team in 2026
Ready to watch? Here’s the simplest way to get set up for your team’s next game.
1. Find your team’s game
Start with our Find Your NFL Team section above or check the current NFL schedule to find the date, kickoff time, and network for the game you want to watch.
2. Check whether the game is local, out of market, or nationally televised
Local Sunday afternoon games are generally available through CBS or FOX. If the Sunday afternoon game you want isn’t being shown in your local market, check NFL Sunday Ticket. National games may instead require Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC, Netflix, NFL Network, or another designated service.
3. Make sure you have access to the right service
Sign up for or sign into the legitimate streaming or television service carrying the game. You don’t need every NFL service—only the ones that carry the games you want to watch.
4. Connect your VPN if you want additional privacy
If you’re using ExpressVPN, open the app and connect before you start streaming. This can be particularly useful when you’re watching from a hotel, airport, or another public Wi-Fi network.
5. Open the streaming service and watch the game
Sign into the service carrying the game, confirm your stream is working, and you’re ready for kickoff.
