ESPN releases 2026 MNF schedule

ESPN published its full 2026 Monday Night Football and NFL Network schedule on May 14 as part of the NFL’s broader regular-season release. The company said it will carry 26 regular-season games across ESPN and NFL Network, including 17 Monday Night Football matchups, seven NFL Network games and a Week 18 Saturday doubleheader. The announcement came the same day the NFL unveiled its full 18-week, 272-game schedule for the 2026 season. ESPN said the season will end with Super Bowl LXI on its platforms on Feb. 14, 2027. ### How many Monday night games did ESPN put on the schedule? ESPN said its 2026-27 regular-season slate includes 17 Monday Night Football games. The company said 10 of those games will be simulcast on ABC, including seven in the first nine weeks, while the other seven will air exclusively on ESPN. (espnpressroom.com) The network said its broader NFL package now totals 28 games during the regular season and postseason, plus Super Bowl LXI, which it described as game No. 29. ESPN said that count combines Monday Night Football, NFL Network games and its playoff inventory. (espnpressroom.com) ### Which matchup opens the Monday Night Football season? The NFL and ESPN said the Monday Night Football opener is Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14. NFL.com listed the game for 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL+. NFL.com’s Monday night schedule page lists Giants at Rams in Week 2, Eagles at Bears in Week 3 and Falcons at Saints in Week 4. (espnpressroom.com) The same page shows Bills at Rams in Week 5, Commanders at 49ers in Week 6 and Cowboys at Eagles in Week 7. ### Which games did ESPN highlight from the rest of the season? ESPN’s release singled out several “signature matchups,” including Broncos-Chiefs, Giants-Rams, Eagles-Bears, Bills-Rams, Cowboys-Eagles, Bears-Seahawks, Bills-Vikings, Chargers-Ravens, Cowboys-Seahawks, Patriots-Chiefs and Giants-Lions. (nfl.com) The release also said Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge will return on Monday Night Football, while “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” will begin its sixth season. (amp.nfl.com) NFL.com’s schedule page lists Bears at Seahawks in Week 8, Bills at Vikings in Week 9 and Chargers at Ravens in Week 10. It then shows Bengals at Commanders in Week 11, Panthers at Buccaneers in Week 12, Cowboys at Seahawks in Week 13, Steelers at Jaguars in Week 14, Patriots at Chiefs in Week 15, Giants at Lions in Week 16 and Texans at Packers in Week 17. (espnpressroom.com) ### What does the NFL Network portion look like under ESPN? ESPN said NFL Network will air seven games in the regular season. The company said five of those seven games will be international contests in Weeks 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, including what it called the network’s first game from Paris, and the other two will be played on Saturday in Week 16 as a doubleheader. (amp.nfl.com) The company said 2026 is the first year NFL Network is included in ESPN’s portfolio after ESPN acquired the network in 2025. ESPN also said it will carry a Wild Card game and a Divisional Round game for the fourth straight season, both simulcast on ABC. (espnpressroom.com) ### When does the full NFL season start, and where can fans see every game? The NFL said the 2026 season opens on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the defending champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field. The league said the regular season concludes in Week 18 with three games on Saturday, Jan. 9, and 13 on Sunday, Jan. 10. (espnpressroom.com) ESPN’s public schedule page and NFL.com’s 2026 schedule pages list game dates, kickoff times and television windows for the season. The NFL said Week 18 dates, start times and networks for some games will be announced after Week 17 under its flexible scheduling procedures. ### What comes next on the calendar? Sept. 9 is the first game date on the 2026 NFL calendar, with New England at Seattle in the league’s kickoff game. (media.nfl.com) Sept. 14 is the first Monday Night Football date, with Denver at Kansas City, according to ESPN and NFL.com. (espn.com)