NFL expands Netflix deal with first Thanksgiving Eve game; Rams host Packers

The NFL will expand its partnership with Netflix in 2026, adding the league’s first Thanksgiving Eve game as part of a broader streaming package. On November 25, 2026, the Los Angeles Rams will host the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium on a Wednesday night, a first for November in the Super Bowl era. The matchup will stream exclusively on Netflix and headlines a five-game slate the platform will carry in 2026 under a new agreement running through the 2029-30 season.

The 2026 lineup on Netflix is set to include a Week 1 game, the Thanksgiving Eve contest, a Christmas Day doubleheader and a Week 18 Saturday game. The league said the Thanksgiving Eve kickoff at SoFi Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, while the Week 18 Saturday game is slated for a 1 p.m. ET window. Details for three of the 2026 Netflix games will be confirmed when the full schedule is released on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

This expansion follows Netflix’s initial three-year arrangement that began in 2024 with a Christmas Day doubleheader each season. Under the new deal, Netflix becomes the exclusive streamer for the Thanksgiving Eve game for four seasons from 2026 through 2029. After 2026, the platform will carry four NFL games annually for the remainder of the agreement.

To accommodate the Wednesday fixture, league scheduling officials have indicated that the participating teams are expected to receive a Week 11 bye to manage the short turnaround from Sunday. The added midweek window gives the NFL a new prime-time slot heading into the holiday weekend.

Netflix’s 2026 slate and long-term rights

Five-game package in 2026

Netflix’s 2026 package consists of five games: a season-opening Week 1 matchup, the inaugural Thanksgiving Eve game featuring the Packers at the Rams, two Christmas Day games and a Week 18 Saturday kickoff. The league has announced that the specific opponents for the Christmas doubleheader and the late-season Saturday window will be disclosed with the full schedule release.

From 2027: four games a year

Beginning in 2027 and continuing through the 2029-30 season, Netflix will stream four NFL games each year. Those annual games will include a Week 1 contest, the Thanksgiving Eve game, one Christmas matchup and one Week 18 game. The Thanksgiving Eve slot remains exclusive to Netflix for the duration of that four-season window.

Thanksgiving Eve window and operations

Byes and player-rest considerations

The Wednesday placement in Week 12 marks the first such November game in the Super Bowl era. To protect player rest and preparation, the league plans for the teams involved to take a Week 11 bye, aligning the midweek game with established player-safety guidelines for short weeks.

NFL Honors to stream on Netflix

As part of the expanded partnership, Netflix will also become the new home for NFL Honors, the league’s annual awards show held on the Thursday before the Super Bowl. Moving the awards broadcast under the same agreement consolidates more NFL tentpole programming on the streaming platform.

The NFL is expected to finalize and publish the complete 2026 schedule on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. Fans will then learn the remaining Netflix matchups, including the Christmas doubleheader participants and the late-season Saturday pairing.