The 2026 NFL season isn’t wasting any time delivering a heavyweight matchup. Seven months after Seattle defeated New England in Super Bowl LX, the Patriots and Seahawks will meet again to open the 2026 NFL regular season. This time, Seattle gets New England at Lumen Field as the Seahawks begin their Super Bowl title defense in front of the 12s. Patriots vs. Seahawks kicks off Wednesday, September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised on NBC, with streaming options including Peacock and NFL+. If you’re traveling when the NFL season kicks off, however, your normal way of watching football may not work exactly as it does at home. Streaming availability and local channels can depend on your location.
That’s one reason ExpressVPN can be useful for NFL fans while traveling. A VPN lets you connect through servers in different locations while encrypting your internet traffic, giving you additional privacy on hotel and public Wi-Fi and another option when location restrictions interfere with the services you normally use.
Here’s everything you need to know about watching Patriots vs. Seahawks from home or while traveling.
Patriots vs. Seahawks 2026 Game Details
| Game | New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks |
| Date | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 8:20 p.m. ET / 5:20 p.m. PT |
| Stadium | Lumen Field |
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| TV Channel | NBC |
| Streaming | Peacock, NFL+ |
| Game | 2026 NFL Kickoff Game |
The NFL usually reserves its season opener for the defending Super Bowl champion, and that’s exactly what we’re getting in 2026—with an added twist. Instead of simply raising the banner against another contender, Seattle will face the same New England team it defeated in Super Bowl LX.
How to Watch Patriots vs. Seahawks
The Patriots-Seahawks rematch will air nationally on NBC. Fans with access to their local NBC station can watch the game there, while Peacock provides a streaming option for the NFL Kickoff Game. NFL+ is another option, with live local and primetime regular-season games available on supported mobile devices. Because this is a national primetime game, Patriots and Seahawks fans don’t have to worry about the complicated regional broadcast maps that come with a typical Sunday afternoon NFL matchup. Traveling can make things a little more complicated.
How to Watch Patriots vs. Seahawks While Traveling
Football doesn’t always cooperate with your travel schedule. You could be spending September 9 in a hotel, visiting family on the other side of the country, sitting in an airport, or traveling internationally when New England and Seattle kick off. Streaming services can determine content availability based partly on where you’re connecting from. Local channel availability can also change when you move from one television market to another. That’s where having a VPN available can help. For travelers, that means you can connect through servers in different locations while also encrypting your connection.
How to Use ExpressVPN to Watch Patriots vs. Seahawks While Traveling
We recommend getting ExpressVPN set up before you leave home, rather than trying to figure everything out minutes before kickoff.
Here’s how:
- Sign up for ExpressVPN. Choose your plan and create an account.
- Download ExpressVPN. Install the app on the phone, tablet, laptop, or supported device you’re bringing with you.
- Connect to a U.S. server. Open ExpressVPN and choose an appropriate U.S. server location.
- Open your streaming service. Sign into NBC through your TV provider, Peacock, or another service you normally use to watch the game.
- Find Patriots vs. Seahawks. Get your stream running before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Streaming services can use additional methods to determine your location and have their own availability requirements, so using ExpressVPN doesn’t guarantee access to every streaming platform.
Best VPN for Patriots vs. Seahawks: ExpressVPN
We recommend ExpressVPN for NFL fans who want a VPN while traveling during the 2026 season. For live football, connection quality matters. A VPN isn’t particularly useful on game day if the connection struggles to keep up with a live HD stream.
ExpressVPN offers U.S. server locations and apps across many popular devices, making it particularly convenient for travelers. Travel frequently means relying on hotel, airport, restaurant and other public Wi-Fi networks. ExpressVPN encrypts your internet traffic between your device and its VPN servers, adding another layer of privacy when you’re away from your home network. So even after the final whistle in Seattle, you can continue using the VPN throughout your trip—and throughout football season.
Why Use a VPN for NFL Games While Traveling?
Patriots-Seahawks might bring you here, but the usefulness of a VPN doesn’t end Wednesday night. NFL broadcasts are spread across several networks and streaming platforms throughout the season. Depending on the week, fans may be jumping between CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Prime Video, NFL Network and other services.
Connect Through Different Server Locations
A VPN lets you select from servers in different geographic locations. That’s useful when you’re away from home and encountering location-based differences in the websites or services you normally use.
Protect Your Connection on Public Wi-Fi
Watching football from a hotel sounds great. Trusting every hotel Wi-Fi network you encounter isn’t quite as appealing. ExpressVPN encrypts your connection, making it useful even when you’re not streaming the game.
Keep One VPN for the Entire NFL Season
Week 1 is only the beginning. Once ExpressVPN is installed on your devices, you can use it on future trips throughout the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl LXI.
Patriots vs. Seahawks: The Super Bowl LX Rematch
Calling this a big Week 1 game almost undersells it. The 2026 NFL season begins with a rematch of Super Bowl LX, only seven months after Seattle defeated New England to capture the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy. Seattle now gets to begin its championship defense at Lumen Field.
New England gets something considerably different: A chance at revenge. The Patriots will also arrive with one of the biggest additions of the NFL offseason. A.J. Brown is set to make his New England debut after joining the Patriots, giving Drake Maye a major new weapon in the passing game.
For Seattle, much of the championship offense returns around Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, although the defending champions will have changes of their own. And unlike most Super Bowl rematches, we don’t have to wait until November or December to see what happens next. It’s the first game.
A Rare Wednesday Night NFL Opener
There’s another reason to double-check your calendar.
Patriots-Seahawks is on Wednesday night.
The NFL Kickoff Game traditionally occupies Thursday night, but the 2026 season begins with New England visiting Seattle on Wednesday, September 9. The following night, the 49ers and Rams play the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. So if you’re accustomed to thinking, “NFL football starts Thursday,” don’t make that mistake this year. The season starts Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Watching Patriots vs. Seahawks From New England
Patriots fans at home can watch the national NBC broadcast beginning Wednesday night. You can also stream the game through Peacock or use another live-TV streaming service that provides your local NBC station.
Watching Patriots vs. Seahawks From Seattle
Seattle fans get the same national NBC broadcast, but remember the time difference. Kickoff at Lumen Field is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. PT, making this an unusually early weekday start for fans on the West Coast.
Watching Patriots vs. Seahawks While Traveling in the U.S.
If you’re elsewhere in the United States, the national NBC broadcast makes this game considerably easier to find than a regional Sunday afternoon matchup. Your streaming setup can still differ depending on where you’re located and which provider you use. Check your service before traveling, and if you’re using ExpressVPN, install and test it on the device you’re taking with you before leaving home.
Watching Patriots vs. Seahawks Outside the U.S.
NFL broadcast rights differ internationally. If you’re traveling outside the United States, check which broadcaster carries Patriots-Seahawks in your destination. ExpressVPN can also provide an encrypted connection and access to U.S. VPN server locations while you’re abroad. Keep in mind that individual streaming platforms determine their own availability and location requirements.
Don’t Miss the Start of the 2026 NFL Season
The NFL could have given us just about any matchup to start 2026. Instead, we’re getting the Super Bowl rematch immediately. The Patriots travel to Seattle on September 9 with a chance to avenge their Super Bowl LX loss, while the Seahawks begin their championship defense at Lumen Field. NBC, Peacock and NFL+ give fans several ways to follow the action. If you’re traveling for opening night, prepare before you leave. Make sure your streaming subscription is ready, download the apps you’ll need and test your devices ahead of time.
And if you want a VPN for your trip, ExpressVPN gives you access to U.S. server locations while helping protect your connection on hotel and public Wi-Fi.
