Thanksgiving 2026 will bring three NFL games, starting with a classic NFC North rivalry and ending with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen facing each other in prime time.
The Chicago Bears visit the Detroit Lions in the afternoon, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles at the Dallas Cowboys. The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will close the holiday with an 8:20 p.m. kickoff.
All three games take place on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and will air nationally on CBS, FOX and NBC.
There is even more football surrounding Thanksgiving this year. For the first time, the NFL has scheduled a game on Wednesday night, giving fans five games across three consecutive days before the regular Sunday schedule begins.
NFL Thanksgiving 2026 Schedule and TV Channels
Thanksgiving football begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and continues into the night. Each game has its own national television network, so fans can watch the entire schedule without needing NFL Sunday Ticket.
| Game | Kickoff (ET) | TV Channel | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions | 1:00 p.m. | CBS | Paramount+ |
| Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. | FOX | FOX One, Tubi |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Peacock |
All games are scheduled for Thursday, November 26. Times are Eastern. The official NFL Week 12 schedule provides the confirmed matchups and kickoff times.
Thanksgiving Kickoff Times Across the United States
The early game starts at 10 a.m. on the West Coast. Fans in Central Time will see the Lions and Bears kick off at noon.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET on CBS
Detroit will host its 86th Thanksgiving game when Chicago visits Ford Field. The Lions have played on the holiday every year since 1934, apart from the interruption during World War II.
The game also brings one of the NFL’s oldest rivalries to a national audience. Chicago and Detroit compete in the NFC North, so their Thanksgiving meeting could carry additional importance for the division standings.
The Lions entered late October with a 4-2 record, while Chicago stood at 5-2. Both teams have shown they can compete for the division, making their November meeting particularly interesting.
Detroit defeated Green Bay 20-17 on October 25, while the Bears have also enjoyed a promising opening stretch.
The NFL Thanksgiving announcement confirms that CBS will broadcast the game nationally. Streaming will also be available on Paramount+.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX
Few NFL rivalries produce as much attention as Philadelphia against Dallas. Thanksgiving will give the NFC East opponents another national television meeting, this time at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Cowboys have hosted Thanksgiving football every year since 1966, except for 1975 and 1977.
Dallas and Philadelphia have met on Thanksgiving only twice before. The Eagles won both games, defeating the Cowboys 27-0 in 1989 and 33-10 in 2014.
Their 2026 meeting will also be their second game against each other in just over a month. Dallas defeated Philadelphia 38-21 on October 26, adding another chapter to their rivalry before the holiday rematch.
FOX will televise the game at 4:30 p.m. ET. According to the FOX Thanksgiving viewing details, fans can also stream it on FOX One and watch a live 4K stream through Tubi.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
The evening game gives fans another meeting between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, two quarterbacks responsible for some of the most entertaining NFL games in recent years.
Kansas City travels to Buffalo for an 8:20 p.m. kickoff, with NBC carrying the national broadcast and Peacock providing streaming coverage.
The Chiefs and Bills have developed one of the AFC’s major rivalries. Their postseason meetings have included dramatic finishes, particularly the 2021 divisional playoff game that Kansas City won 42-36 in overtime.
The teams have met regularly in the postseason since then, and their games have attracted national attention because of the quarterbacks and the high stakes.
Buffalo will host this Thanksgiving matchup at Highmark Stadium. The NFL holiday schedule announcement also confirms the prime-time broadcast.
How to Watch NFL Thanksgiving Games Without Cable
Fans without a traditional cable subscription can stream all three games, although they may need different services.
- Paramount+ will stream Bears at Lions through its live CBS coverage. Check that the selected plan includes live access.
- FOX One will carry Eagles at Cowboys. Tubi is also scheduled to stream the game live in 4K.
- Peacock will stream Chiefs at Bills through NBC’s Sunday Night Football coverage.
Fans who receive CBS, FOX and NBC through an antenna can also watch the games on their local television stations without a paid streaming subscription.
The NFL’s NFL+ viewing options include live local and national games on supported mobile devices. Restrictions apply to some devices and broadcasts.
There Are Also NFL Games on Wednesday and Black Friday
Thanksgiving Day is the main event, but the NFL has added two more games around the holiday.
Green Bay will visit the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, November 25. The game begins at 8 p.m. ET and will stream on Netflix.
On Black Friday, November 27, the Denver Broncos travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 | Packers at Rams | 8:00 p.m. | Netflix |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Bears at Lions | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Eagles at Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. | FOX |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Chiefs at Bills | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Broncos at Steelers | 3:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
Five games across three days give fans football every evening, beginning Wednesday and continuing through Friday afternoon.
Why Do the Lions and Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving?
The tradition began as a way to attract attention to football during the holiday.
Detroit first hosted a Thanksgiving game in 1934 after team owner George A. Richards arranged a national radio broadcast. The game attracted a large audience and helped establish Thanksgiving football as a yearly event.
Dallas followed in 1966. Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm believed a Thanksgiving game could bring more attention to the franchise, which was still relatively young at the time.
Both teams eventually became permanent fixtures of the holiday. The NFL introduced a third Thanksgiving game in 2006, creating the afternoon and evening schedule fans know today.
Who Played on Thanksgiving Last Year?
The 2025 Thanksgiving games included several close contests.
- Green Bay Packers defeated Detroit Lions 31-24.
- Dallas Cowboys defeated Kansas City Chiefs 31-28.
- Cincinnati Bengals defeated Baltimore Ravens 32-14.
Detroit and Dallas are back on the schedule for 2026, but both will face different opponents. Kansas City also returns after losing in Dallas last Thanksgiving.
The Bottom Line
The final game begins at 8:20 p.m. Eastern Time, so the Chiefs and Bills are likely to finish late Thursday night. Most NFL games take between three and three and a half hours, although overtime and other delays can extend the broadcast.
For fans planning the holiday around football, the main kickoff times to remember are 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. ET.
The NFL can still adjust scheduling or broadcast details before November 26. Checking the official game listings closer to Thanksgiving is the safest way to confirm the final information.
