One of the first matchups of the NFL preseason will be between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions. The two teams have a lengthy preseason history, and the Bengals hold a slight lead (19-18) in early wins against the Lions. Their upcoming game will be held at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday night, with a 7 p.m. ET kickoff.
The 18-week regular 2026 NFL season officially starts on September 9 when the Seattle Seahawks take on their 2026 Super Bowl foes the New England Patriots, but in the meantime, here's a look at how to watch the Lions vs. Bengals and the rest of the 2026 NFL preseason.
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals NFL preseason game:
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
TV channel: NFL Network
Streaming: YouTube TV, Fubo, DirecTV and more
When is the Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals preseason game?
The Lions play the Bengals on Thursday, August 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
What channel is the Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals preseason game on?
The Lions vs. Bengals NFL preseason game will air on NFL Network.
Where to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals without cable:
NFL 2026 preseason schedule:
All times Eastern
Thursday, August 13
Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots: 7:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas Raiders: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers: 9:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Friday, August 14
Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Jets: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Saturday, August 15
Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Los Angeles Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 4:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints: 4:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Thursday, August 20
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Houston Texans: 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 10:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Friday, August 21
New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: 9:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Saturday, August 22
Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions: 12:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Indianapolis Colts: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Baltimore Ravens vs. Minnesota Vikings: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams: 4:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
New York Giants vs. Miami Dolphins: 4:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals: 10:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Sunday, August 23
Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans: 8:00 p.m. (FOX)
Thursday, August 27
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
New England Patriots vs. Cleveland Browns: 8:00 p.m. (Prime Video)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Los Angeles Rams vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 10:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Friday, August 28
Washington Commanders vs. Baltimore Ravens: 6:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins: 7:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
New York Giants vs. New York Jets: 7:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 8:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 8:00 p.m. (CBS)
Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos: 9:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Saturday, August 29
Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts: 1:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans: 6:00 p.m. (NFL Network)
How to watch the 2026 NFL preseason:
When does football season start?
This year's NFL season kicks off on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 with a match hosted by the 2026 Super Bowl winning-Seattle Seahawks.
Immediately following the 2026 NFL kickoff game, on Thursday, Sept. 10, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will face off in Australia. Netflix will be the exclusive streaming home for the first NFL international game of the season.
How to watch NFL games in person
Tickets for the 2026 NFL season are on sale now.
Find ticketsEvery way to watch NFL games this season
To recap, here are all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2026.