For the first time in league history, every single NFL game this season will be available on a streaming platform, marking a dramatic shift in how fans watch America’s most popular sport. From last night’s 24-20 Philadelphia Eagles win over the Dallas Cowboys to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on January 4, 2026, all 272 regular season games are now accessible without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
Streaming Platforms Take Center Stage
The NFL has spread its games across a wide range of services, including:
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YouTube (tonight’s Chiefs vs. Chargers game in São Paulo streams free worldwide at 5 p.m. PT)
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Paramount+
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Peacock
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Amazon Prime Video
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Netflix (Christmas Day games)
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ESPN Unlimited and Fox One
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NFL+ (including exclusive international matchups)
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In total, 20 NFL games this season are exclusive to streaming platforms, underlining the league’s aggressive embrace of digital distribution.
NFL+, Disney, and Bundling Power
Following Disney’s acquisition of the NFL Network and its new 10% ownership stake in Disney’s sports division, the September 3 announcement made headlines: NFL+ Premium is now available as a $10 add-on to Disney’s expanded ESPN bundle. This move makes NFL+ more accessible, while cementing the NFL as a cornerstone of Disney’s growing sports empire.
The Future of Linear TV?
Analysts see the shift as both inevitable and disruptive. “Football will be on TV as long as there is TV, there just may not be an audience there,” one sports agent observed. Research firm MoffettNathanson noted in its new study “NFL: The Loss Of Linear Exclusivity” that the NFL’s streaming expansion puts added pressure on the traditional broadcast ecosystem. Premium pricing across streaming services is being used to protect legacy TV from immediate cannibalization, but exclusivity is clearly fading.
Why It Matters
The NFL has long been considered the crown jewel of American broadcasting, binding millions of viewers to pay-TV subscriptions. By embracing streaming, the league is future-proofing itself for a generation that increasingly watches sports on phones, tablets, and apps rather than networks.
As analyst Robert Fishman summed it up:
“The NFL continues to prove that they are the most important IP in the media ecosystem. They’re striking deals to ensure viewership from all different angles.”
The end of linear exclusivity may not mean the end of broadcast football, but it does mean the rules of the game have changed — permanently.
