For the 2026 NFL season, fans will need to subscribe to Netflix to catch the Week 1 International Series game from Melbourne, Australia. The five-game Netflix deal marks a new era of fragmented viewing. While many options exist to stream NFL games, no single service provides a comprehensive viewing experience without additional subscriptions. Fans will likely navigate a more complex and potentially more expensive landscape of multiple streaming subscriptions to follow their favorite teams.
NFL+ Core Offering: Mobile-First Access and Limitations
NFL+ offers live local and primetime games on mobile and tablet devices during the regular season and postseason, according to Nfl and sportsmediawatch. The mobile-centric entry point establishes NFL+ as a key, though incomplete, component of a fan's viewing strategy due to device restrictions.
Netflix Enters the Live NFL Arena with Exclusive Games
Netflix will carry an expanded five-game schedule this season, including the Week 1 International Series game from Melbourne, Australia, as reported by sportsmediawatch. NFL+ will also stream seven exclusive live games in the 2026 season, according to Nfl. Fans must subscribe to both services to avoid missing significant, high-profile games. The NFL's strategic fragmentation of exclusive content across platforms like Netflix and NFL+ constructs a mandatory multi-subscription model, increasing the financial burden for dedicated fans.
Pricing and Bundling: The Cost of Comprehensive Coverage
NFL+ costs $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year for mobile access to local and primetime games, according to Support Nfl. For a comprehensive, big-screen NFL experience, fans often need to bundle with services like ESPN Unlimited, which includes all ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network games, reports sportsmediawatch. Bundling significantly increases the overall cost.
