NFL season opens with Seahawks-Patriots rematch
Seattle will begin its title defence against New England as the NFL expands its international schedule.
The 2026 NFL season begins on Wednesday night with defending champions Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl. The game will be televised by Sky Sports from 1.20am on Thursday.
The 32-team season is scheduled to run across 22 weeks before concluding with Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on 14 February. Seattle won Super Bowl 60 to claim the league title.
The NFL is also scheduled to stage a record nine regular-season games outside the United States. The programme includes the league’s first games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris, alongside return visits to Mexico City, Munich and Madrid and three further games in London.
The international schedule begins during opening week, when the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sky Sports reported that the season will feature 285 games across eight countries, four continents and six time zones.
