Thanksgiving TV Schedule 2026: NFL Games, Macy’s Parade Channel & Times
Updated Monday, October 26, 2026.
Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26, 31 days from Monday, October 26.
Three NFL games are on TV: the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions at 1pm ET on CBS, the Philadelphia Eagles at the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30pm ET on FOX and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills at 8:20pm ET on NBC.
The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is expected on NBC from 8:30am ET, its start time in 2025; NBC confirms the times in November.
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days of the year for TV. Most people tune in for the same three things: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, the National Dog Show at lunchtime, and NFL football from 1pm to midnight. This guide has the times and channels for all three. Once we hold the day’s listings, about a week ahead, it adds the four big networks hour by hour.
What channel is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on?
The parade is on NBC and streams on Peacock. NBC has been the parade’s TV home for decades, and in 2025 its coverage ran from 8:30am to noon in every time zone. That means the West Coast sees it on a three-hour delay, not live at 5:30am. Telemundo carried a Spanish-language version, and NBC repeated the parade at 2pm.
2026 is the parade’s 100th edition. The first march was in 1924, and the parade took a break from 1942 to 1944, during World War II, so the 2026 parade is number 100 on the parade’s own count. Macy’s and NBC usually announce the hosts, performers and balloons in early November, and we’ll add the confirmed times here when they do.
Thanksgiving football schedule 2026
| Date | Kickoff | Game | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 25 | 8pm ET | Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams | Netflix (streaming only) | – |
| Thursday, November 26 | 1pm ET | Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions | CBS; streams on Paramount+ | – |
| Thursday, November 26 | 4:30pm ET | Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys | FOX; streams on FOX One | – |
| Thursday, November 26 | 8:20pm ET | Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | NBC; streams on Peacock | – |
| Friday, November 27 | 3pm ET | Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers | Prime Video (streaming only) | – |
Kickoffs are Eastern. The Thursday games are on broadcast TV, so an antenna gets them free; the Wednesday and Friday games stream only. Final scores are added after each game.
Who plays on Thanksgiving 2026?
Three games on Thursday, November 26, one on each broadcast network:
- Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, 1pm ET on CBS. Detroit hosts every year. The Lions’ first Thanksgiving game, in 1934, was against the Bears.
- Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30pm ET on FOX. Dallas first hosted a Thanksgiving game in 1966, and this one is an NFC East division game.
- Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, 8:20pm ET on NBC. The night game, which streams on Peacock.
Thanksgiving week has two more games: Green Bay at the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, November 25 at 8pm ET on Netflix, the first NFL game on the night before Thanksgiving, and Denver at Pittsburgh on Black Friday, November 27 at 3pm ET on Prime Video. That makes five games in three days.
How to watch the Thanksgiving games without cable
| Game | Free with an antenna? | Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Bears at Lions (CBS) | Yes | Paramount+ |
| Eagles at Cowboys (FOX) | Yes | FOX One |
| Chiefs at Bills (NBC) | Yes | Peacock |
| Packers at Rams, Wednesday (Netflix) | No | Netflix only |
| Broncos at Steelers, Friday (Prime Video) | No | Prime Video only |
All three Thursday games are on the free broadcast networks, so an antenna gets every one of them. Live TV streaming services that carry your local CBS, FOX and NBC stations (YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo) also have them. The Wednesday and Friday games are streaming exclusives, so you need those services for them.
For the rest of the season, the NFL games on TV this week page has every game and channel.
What’s on TV on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26
The main events
| Time (ET) | Event | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (until noon) | NBC | Also on Peacock, and on Telemundo in Spanish. Expected, from 2025’s times |
| Noon | The National Dog Show (until 2pm) | NBC | Right after the parade. Expected, from 2025’s times |
| 1pm | NFL: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions | CBS | Also on Paramount+ |
| 4:30pm | NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys | FOX | Also on FOX One |
| 8:20pm | NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | NBC | Also on Peacock |
Our full listings for Thursday, November 26 appear about a week ahead, around Thursday, November 19. This section then fills with ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX hour by hour.
The National Dog Show
The National Dog Show follows the parade on NBC. In 2025 it ran from noon to 2pm, hosted by David Frei and John O’Hurley. It’s the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s show, and the broadcast ends with Best in Show. For many households it’s the gap between the parade and the first kickoff.
Planning the day
A typical Thanksgiving on TV runs like this, all times Eastern:
- 8:30am to noon: the parade on NBC.
- Noon to 2pm: the National Dog Show on NBC.
- 1pm: the first game, on CBS. It overlaps the end of the Dog Show, so one channel has to wait.
- 4:30pm: the second game, on FOX.
- 8:20pm: the night game, on NBC.
If football isn’t your thing, Hallmark Channel premieres a new Christmas movie on Thanksgiving night, part of its 34-movie season (see our Hallmark Christmas movies schedule), and the rest of the holiday movies are on Christmas movies on TV. For every channel’s evening, see what’s on TV tonight.
Frequently asked questions
What NFL games are on Thanksgiving 2026?
Three games on Thursday, November 26: the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions at 1pm ET on CBS, the Philadelphia Eagles at the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30pm ET on FOX and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills at 8:20pm ET on NBC.
What channel is the Bears-Lions Thanksgiving game on?
CBS, at 1pm ET on Thursday, November 26. It streams on Paramount+.
What channel is the Eagles-Cowboys Thanksgiving game on?
FOX, at 4:30pm ET on Thursday, November 26. It streams on FOX One.
What channel is the Chiefs-Bills Thanksgiving game on?
NBC, at 8:20pm ET on Thursday, November 26. It streams on Peacock.
Are there NFL games the day before and after Thanksgiving?
Yes. Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams, Wednesday, November 25 at 8pm ET on Netflix; Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, November 27 at 3pm ET on Prime Video.
What channel is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on?
NBC, which has carried the parade for decades, and it streams on Peacock. In 2025 the broadcast ran from 8:30am to noon in every time zone, with a Spanish-language version on Telemundo and an encore on NBC at 2pm. NBC usually confirms the year’s times and hosts in early November.
Is the 2026 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the 100th?
Yes. The 2026 parade is the 100th. The first was in 1924, and the parade wasn’t held from 1942 to 1944, during World War II.
How can I watch the Thanksgiving football games for free?
All three Thanksgiving Day games are on broadcast networks, CBS, FOX and NBC, so a TV antenna picks them up free. The Wednesday game is on Netflix and the Black Friday game on Prime Video, which both need a subscription.
Why do the Lions always play on Thanksgiving?
Detroit has hosted a Thanksgiving game since 1934, apart from the World War II years. The first was against the Chicago Bears, who are this year’s opponent too.