The 2026 NFL regular season will feature a historic shift in its Thursday night broadcast, with Netflix set to stream the season's first "Thursday Night Football" game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams on September 10. This marks the first time a streaming service will broadcast an NFL regular-season game on a Thursday.
The game, which will also be the first regular-season NFL game played in Australia, is scheduled to kick off at 8:35 p.m. ET. Netflix will begin its pregame coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be available at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers.
This Week 1 matchup deviates from the traditional start of the NFL season. The 2026 season opener is on Wednesday, September 9, with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks airing on NBC and Peacock. Traditional Sunday games will be broadcast on CBS and FOX, and the first "Sunday Night Football" game will feature the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys on NBC/Peacock at 8:20 p.m. ET. The opening week concludes with "Monday Night Football" on September 14, with the Denver Broncos visiting the Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN and ABC at 8:15 p.m. ET.
While most of the 2026 "Thursday Night Football" schedule will air on Prime Video, the Week 1 game on Netflix signifies a significant expansion of the NFL's broadcast reach into new streaming platforms. Regular Netflix subscription costs start at $8.99 per month, with ad-free options at $19.99 (Standard) and $26.99 (Premium). The streamer is not currently offering a free trial.
Following the Netflix broadcast, the "Thursday Night Football" schedule for the remainder of the season primarily features games on Prime Video. Notable matchups include the Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills on September 17, and the Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers on September 24, both at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.