The NFL’s broadcast partners, including CBS, Fox, NBC, NFL Network, ESPN, and Prime Video, vie for the most exciting matchups to draw the biggest audiences. Primetime slots on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights, along with late Sunday afternoon games, often feature the league’s top teams. Traditionally, the reigning Super Bowl champion hosts the season’s opening Thursday night game.
This season introduces a unique Week 16 schedule, with two Saturday games broadcast by NBC (1:00 p.m. ET) and FOX (4:30 p.m. ET). The teams playing in these Saturday games will play again on Wednesday, December 25th, against different opponents. These Christmas Day games will be streamed on Netflix, marking the platform’s first foray into live NFL game broadcasts. Week 17 will include three Saturday games and two on Sunday, with specific times and dates to be confirmed later in the season.
Week 18 will also feature two Saturday games and the remaining games on Sunday. The exact dates, times, and broadcasting networks for Week 18 will be announced after Week 17 concludes. Most NFL games are played on Sunday afternoons, with early games starting at 1:00 p.m. ET and late games kicking off at either 4:05 p.m. ET or 4:25 p.m. ET, depending on whether the game is part of a network doubleheader. CBS and FOX share the broadcasting duties for Sunday afternoon games. For the second consecutive year, network assignments for games are not predetermined by conference affiliation, providing greater scheduling flexibility for CBS and FOX.
Both CBS and FOX will air doubleheaders, ensuring every market can access four Sunday afternoon games in Weeks 15 and 18. In Weeks 1-14 and 16-17, FOX and CBS will each host eight doubleheaders. During these weeks, one network will broadcast games in both Sunday afternoon slots, while the other will air a single game in either time slot. Doubleheader weeks generally alternate between networks, though consecutive doubleheaders for one network are possible, but not for three weeks in a row.