Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How to watch today’s NFL game, kickoff time, TV channel and more

The NFC South title is up for grabs during this week’s NFL matchup between the Carolina Panthers, currently No. 1 in the division, and the No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers, who won when the two teams met earlier this season, will play Saturday’s game without Ja’Tavion Sanders; the tight end broke his ankle in last Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

You can tune into the Panthers vs. Buccaneers game on ESPN and ABC, which are available on streaming platforms like ESPN Unlimited and DirecTV. Here’s what you need to know to tune in to this week’s game.

How to watch the Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Date: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

TV channels: ESPN and ABC

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ and more

Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game time:

The Panthers vs. Buccaneers game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT this Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game channel:

The Week 18 game between the Panthers and Buccaneers will air on ESPN and ABC.

How to watch the Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game without cable:

You can tune in to ESPN and ABC through your cable provider, or on streaming platforms like DirecTV, Fubo and more. You can also stream the game on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited, or with NFL+ (via phone or tablet only).

Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached.

NFL Week 18 schedule:

All times Eastern.

Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026

Panthers vs. Buccaneers: 4:30 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
Seahawks vs. 49ers: 8:00 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

Colts vs. Texans: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)
Chargers vs. Broncos: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Browns vs. Bengals: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Packers vs. Vikings: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Jets vs. Bills: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Chiefs vs. Raiders: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Commanders vs. Eagles: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Saints vs. Falcons: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Titans vs. Jaguars: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Cowboys vs. Giants: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Lions vs. Bears: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Cardinals vs. Rams: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Dolphins vs. Patriots: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Ravens vs. Steelers: 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

How to watch NFL games in 2025:

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. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. 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 during the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.