The National Football League’s influence in the UK has grown considerably in recent years. Indeed, the league actually has a semi-permanent residence in London, with three games now usually played in the UK capital each season.
That influence and the popularity of the NFL have set off a kind of frenzy among TV broadcasters, hoping to cash in on the growing UK fanbase. The upshot is that UK fans can broadly get full access to every game across the season.
The only issue for UK fans is that it is split across multiple broadcasters, most of whom require subscriptions. There will, however, be a couple of games shown every Sunday on Channel 5.
With NFL Week 1 on the horizon, we thought we’d provide a quick guide to the key games, listing UK times and broadcasters. Note that some broadcasters will overlap coverage and some games could switch closer to the time.
Thurs 10 Sep, 1:20 am: New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks (Sky Sports NFL)
This is the 2026 NFL Kick-Off Game. It’s a huge deal back in the US, taking in a large chunk of the NFL Week 1 betting volume. It pits the two teams who contested Super Bowl LX against each other, so it has that blockbuster feel about it.
Fri 11 Sep, 1:35 am: San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams (Netflix)
The matchup between two Super Bowl contenders actually takes place in Australia – the first-ever NFL game to do so. Netflix has been slowly cranking up its sports coverage, so this is a good one to begin the season with.
Sun 13 Sep, 6:00 pm: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals (DAZN Game Pass)
Sundays are when the lion’s share of NFL weekly games take place, with fans often hoping from game to game or watching the Red Zone. This one has two intriguing rivals who could do better than the odds say this season.
Sun 13 Sep, 6:00 pm: Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans (DAZN Game Pass)
This is probably the most difficult game to call across all the Week 1 fixtures, and it again puts up two teams with Super Bowl ambitions. The Bills, in particular, will want to start off the campaign on a high not, assuring a long-suffering fan base that this indeed could be their year.
Sun 13 Sep, 9:25 pm: Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings (DAZN Game Pass)
The weather in Minneapolis on a mid-September afternoon will likely be pleasant, but that won’t be the case as winter approaches. The always-interesting Packers will be backed to take the win against a Vikings team in rebuild mode.
Sun 13 Sep, 9:25 pm: Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles (DAZN Game Pass)
The Super Bowl champions in 2025 welcome a Commanders side with many questions for the new season, including how to get the best out of young quarterback Jayden Daniels.
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Mon 14 Sep, 1:20 am: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (Sky Sports NFL and DAZN Game Pass)
Two historic teams lock horns in the first Monday Night Football game of the season – an institution as American as apple pie. The Cowboys – the world’s most valuable sports team – will be backed to get the win.
Tue 15 Sep, 1:15 am: Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (Sky Sports NFL and DAZN Game Pass)
The first week of the new season climaxes with a mouth-watering tie between AFC West rivals Chiefs and Broncos. Both teams will be aiming for supremacy in their division, and this could go a long way to deciding that.
