NBCUniversal (NBCU), the Comcast-owned US media heavyweight, has acquired an additional regular-season game from American football’s NFL to add to its slate for the upcoming season.
The extra game on NBC Sports’ schedule will be an afternoon matchup on the linear NBC channel and Peacock streaming service on January 2, 2027.
With two Saturday games and its usual Sunday Night Football offering on January 3, NBCU will be home to three week 17 NFL games during a key part of the season as teams battle for playoff places.
Rick Cordella, NBC Sports president, said: “We’re excited to work with our partners at the NFL to acquire an additional game for NBCUniversal platforms at a crucial point on the schedule.
“With three NFL games in exclusive national windows on the season’s penultimate weekend, we continue to deliver for our owned stations, affiliates, and partners.”
With the additional game, NBC Sports will present 26 NFL fixtures in the 2026 season, including 22 regular-season games, three playoff games (two Wild Card games, including one Divisional Playoff matchup), and the NFL Hall of Fame game.
In addition, it was announced yesterday that the September 13 season opener of NBC’s Sunday Night Football will see the Dallas Cowboys face the New York Giants.
As well as NBC, domestic NFL broadcast rights are held by Disney (ESPN/ABC), Paramount (CBS), Fox, and Amazon Prime Video in a deal that began at the start of the 2023 season and runs through 2033 - the combined deals are reportedly valued at $111 billion in total worth.
Meanwhile, Netflix holds a package of rights to show NFL Christmas Day games globally under a three-year deal that runs through the 2026 season.
Last season, the streaming giant’s coverage of the clash between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings became the most-streamed NFL game in US history, drawing an average of 27.5 million viewers.
Overall, the 2025-26 regular season was the second-most-watched campaign on record, with the league averaging 18.7 million viewers per game broadcast window.
