Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots: How to watch Sunday Night Football tonight

The 14-3 New England Patriots secured their first AFC East division title since 2019 this year, and quarterback Drake Maye‘s name keeps coming up as one of the top contender’s for this season’s MVP — it’s been a surprising turn for the team who went 4-13 last season. The team will play at home on Sunday night against the 11-6 Los Angeles Chargers for their first playoff game of the post-season, where the odds are ever so slightly in the Pats’ favor.

Kick off for this week’s Sunday Night Football game between the Chargers and Patriots is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game and the rest of the Wild Card Weekend schedule.

How to watch the Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots:

Date: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

TV channel: NBC

Streaming: DirecTV, Peacock, YouTube TV, NFL+ and more

Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots game time:

The Chargers vs. Patriots game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT this Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots game channel:

The Wild Card Weekend game between the Chargers and the Patriots will air on NBC.

How to watch the Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots game without cable:

You can stream NBC on platforms like DirecTV and Peacock. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not currently available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching this week’s game on mobile devices.

Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

NFL Wild Card Weekend schedule:

All times Eastern.

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

L.A. Rams vs. Carolina Panthers: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: 8:00 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026

Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots: 8:00 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 12, 2026

How to watch NFL games in 2026:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular-season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.