The 2026 NFL preseason begins Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET with the Hall of Fame Game, and it sets up a schedule that will be spread across TV, streaming services and local stations. For fans, that means the Nfl Preseason Schedule may take a little more planning than a standard broadcast weekend.
The Hall of Fame Game features the Carolina Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals, giving the league an early start before the rest of the exhibition slate gets underway. The official preseason schedule runs from Aug. 13 to Aug. 29, with the final games arriving just ahead of the regular season kickoff on Sept. 9.
How to watch the preseason
The league’s preseason games are split across several platforms, including, NFL Network, Prime Video, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, YouTube TV, Fubo, NFL+, Unlimited and NFL+ Premium. That mix reflects the modern viewing reality around the NFL: live sports now often require a combination of cable-style access, streaming subscriptions and, in some cases, an antenna for local broadcasts.
There is also at least one clearly labeled standalone streaming matchup on the calendar. On Aug. 27, the Cleveland Browns play the New England Patriots on Prime Video. The article also notes that all of the listed networks carry regular season games, so the preseason schedule is not introducing unfamiliar broadcast homes so much as spreading games across the same familiar options fans already use during the fall.
What it costs
Cost is another part of the equation. The listed options include services priced at $30 to $40, $39.99 per month, $8.99 per month, $80 to $90 and $49 per month. For viewers trying to follow every game, the total expense can vary depending on which services they already have and how many they need just for August.
The big takeaway is simple: the 2026 preseason starts with the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6, but watching it all may require more than one way to tune in. With games scattered across broadcast and streaming platforms, fans will likely need to check their own setup before the season’s first snaps arrive.
