NFL targets May 13-14 for 2026 schedule release, reports say

The NFL is targeting May 13 or 14 to release its full 2026 regular-season schedule, according to reports published May 7.

The timing would keep the league in its recent mid-May window for unveiling the schedule, although the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning, Mike North, has acknowledged a short delay into May 19-21 remains possible.

One factor in the league’s planning is a reported five-game broadcast package that is still being finalized. The package is said to include a Week 1 game in Australia, a Thanksgiving Eve game, a second Black Friday game, a Christmas Eve game, and one additional matchup. Reports have said YouTube is in advanced talks for the rights.

Commissioner Roger Goodell’s approval is viewed as the last step before the schedule is made public, and his expected attendance at Disney’s upfront presentation on May 12 has been cited as a reason the league may aim to have the schedule finalized by then.

In recent years, the NFL has typically announced the schedule release date only a few days in advance. The league moved the full schedule release from April to May in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has remained a May event since. The most recent schedule release came on May 15, 2024.