The NFL preseason for 2026 runs from Thursday, August 6 through Saturday, August 29, opening with the Hall of Fame Game between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals on NBC and Peacock. This preseason arrives six months after the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and it introduces a wave of coaching changes, with 10 teams — nearly a third of the league — hiring new head coaches. The new hires include Super Bowl-winning coaches John Harbaugh (Giants) and Mike McCarthy (Steelers), along with Robert Saleh (Titans), Kevin Stefanski (Falcons), Jeff Hafley (Dolphins), Todd Monken (Browns), Joe Brady (Bills), Mike LaFleur (Cardinals), Jesse Minter (Ravens) and Klint Kubiak (Raiders).
Notable storylines include Raiders coach Klint Kubiak confirming that No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will start behind veteran Kirk Cousins, who is coming off a difficult stint with the Falcons. Giants coach John Harbaugh has also faced a setback with wide receiver Malik Nabers, whose recovery from a torn ACL has hit a snag. Elsewhere, attention is on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL in Week 15 of the previous season, and Texans receiver Tank Dell, who suffered a serious knee injury in December 2024.
In the U.K. and Australia, all 49 preseason games are available free on DAZN with a simple account registration. In Canada, DAZN also carries the full slate of games, with prices starting at CA$24.99 per month, while nine games are additionally available via TSN Plus for CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year. Viewers outside their home country can use a VPN, such as NordVPN, to access these regional streams while traveling.
In the United States, preseason coverage is spread across NFL Network, ESPN, NBC, FOX, CBS, ESPN Unlimited, Peacock, Fox One, Paramount+ and Prime Video, with no single service carrying every game. Cord-cutters have several options: skinny sports bundles like YouTube TV Sports, DirecTV MySports or Fubo Sports each cost $65 per month and include ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and NFL Network, covering most in-market games. Cheaper local-channel bundles, such as DirecTV's $45-per-month MyNews plan or YouTube TV's $55-per-month Entertainment plan, provide the four major broadcast networks without ESPN or NFL Network but still cover Sunday and Sunday Night Football games.
For those willing to rely on an antenna, over-the-air reception can deliver CBS, Fox, NBC and any ABC simulcasts of Monday Night Football for free, though it won't include ESPN's exclusive games, Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football, or Netflix exclusives unless a viewer's local team is playing. Standalone streaming options are also available, including Paramount+ ($9/month) for CBS games, Fox One ($20/month) for Fox games, Peacock ($11/month) for NBC's Sunday Night Football, and ESPN Unlimited ($30/month), which also includes NFL Network. NFL+ Premium, at $15 per month or $80 per year, includes NFL Network and Redzone. Combining several standalone services can cost around $60 to $75 per month depending on whether Redzone is included.
For fans wanting out-of-market games, YouTube holds exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, which costs $378 for a full season, though new subscribers can pay $240, and Verizon customers may qualify for discounted or free access depending on their plan. NFL+ Premium offers whip-around coverage and post-game replays as a cheaper alternative, and SiriusXM will offer a $5-per-month Sports Pass covering every NFL game via audio starting September 1. Overall, watching the NFL without cable in 2026 requires piecing together multiple services, but remains less expensive than a traditional cable package.