The NFL has announced its first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, set for Wednesday, November 25, 2026. The Green Bay Packers will visit the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed exclusively on Netflix as part of a new five-game NFL streaming package for the 2026 season [1, 2, 3, 4].
Netflix secured the rights to air five NFL games in 2026. This includes the Thanksgiving Eve matchup, two Rams home games in Week 1 and Week 12, two Christmas Day games, and a Week 18 Saturday game. The streaming deal runs through the 2029 season and focuses on marquee games rather than full season coverage. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said they are "not bidding on whole season of sports, including the NFL" [1, 3, 5].
The NFL’s Thanksgiving week schedule now spans multiple days with games on Sunday Nov. 22, Monday Nov. 23, the Wednesday Thanksgiving Eve game, three traditional Thanksgiving Day games on Nov. 26, and a Black Friday game on Nov. 27. The Thanksgiving Day tripleheader includes the Bears at Lions (1 p.m. ET), Eagles at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. ET), and Bills at Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET) [2, 4].
To balance the schedule, teams involved in the Thanksgiving Eve game—the Packers and Rams—are expected to receive a Week 11 bye. NFL scheduling expert Mike North explained, "You know, Sunday to Thursday is clearly a short week. We don’t play Sunday to Wednesday. So, anybody playing that Wednesday of week 12 would have a week 11 bye." [1]
Both the Packers and Rams remain competitive and are expected playoff contenders in 2026, continuing the recent rivalry between the teams [2, 3].
The exclusive streaming on Netflix has drawn criticism. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin condemned the arrangement, stating, "The NFL is once again asking Wisconsinites to spend their hard-earned money on another streaming service. Enough is enough. My For the Fans Act would stop this exact scenario and prevent Wisconsin families from being forced to pay for Netflix just to watch the Packers play this Thanksgiving." [5]
The Packers-Rams Thanksgiving Eve game on November 25 marks the NFL’s expansion into holiday games beyond traditional Thanksgiving Day contests. The league’s next special broadcast event will be the Christmas Day game featuring the Packers vs. Bears, also slated for Netflix coverage [6].
