The Detroit Lions were arguably the most exciting and surprising team in the NFL last year. They had a franchise-best record of 15–2 and were legit contenders for a Super Bowl. I was as surprised as anyone when they didn’t get there.
Detroit should be a forced to be reckoned with again in 2025. The team added depth to its roster in the offseason by signing veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham. A third NFC North title looks likely. But it could be a Super-Bowl-or-bust-type of season for the Lions.
Will the Lions take the NFL by storm this year? Here’s what you need to know if you want to watch the Detroit Lions during the 2025–2026 NFL season.
2025–2026 Detroit Lions TV schedule
The Detroit Lions have all the firepower they’ll need to potentially improve on their gaudy 15–2 record from last year, but they’ll face a few tests along the way.
The Lions have four preseason games on their schedule before starting the regular season with four of their first six games on the road. But, Detroit does have a three-game home stand in the later stages of the season.
One of biggest reasons for trepidation if you’re a Lions fans is the amount of primetime games they have in 2025, and the types of teams they’re facing. Detroit has the second-toughest schedule in the NFL, highlighted by games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Commanders.
The Lions also have two games on streaming services this year, including a Christmas Day matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Netflix. I’ve outlined the full schedule below to make it easy on you.
| Week | Opponent | Date | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Preseason (Hall of Fame Game) |
Los Angeles Chargers (In Canton) | Thursday, July 31 | 8:00 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Preseason | At Atlanta Falcons | Friday, Aug. 8 | 7:00 p.m. | Lions TV Network |
| Preseason | Miami Dolphins | Saturday, Aug. 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Lions TV Network |
| Preseason | Houston Texans | Saturday, Aug. 23 | 1:00 p.m. | Lions TV Network |
| Week 1 | At Green Bay Packers | Sunday, Sept. 7 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
| Week 2 | Chicago Bears | Sunday, Sept. 14 | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 3 | At Baltimore Ravens | Monday, Sept. 22 | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN, ABC |
| Week 4 | Cleveland Browns | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 5 | At Cincinnati Bengals | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 4:25 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 6 | At Kansas City Chiefs | Sunday, Oct. 12 | 8:20 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Week 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Monday, Oct. 20 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN, ABC |
| Week 8 | Bye Week | — | — | — |
| Week 9 | Minnesota Vikings | Sunday, Nov. 2 | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 10 | At Washington Commanders | Sunday, Nov. 9 | 4:25 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 11 | At Philadelphia Eagles | Sunday, Nov. 16 | 8:20 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Week 12 | New York Giants | Sunday, Nov. 23 | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 13 | Green Bay Packers | Thursday, Nov. 27 | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 14 | Dallas Cowboys | Thursday, Dec. 4 | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
| Week 15 | At Los Angeles Rams | Sunday, Dec. 14 | 4:25 p.m. | FOX |
| Week 16 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Sunday, Dec. 21 | 4:25 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
| Week 17 | At San Francisco 49ers | Thursday, Dec. 25 | 4:30 p.m. | Netflix |
| Week 18 | At Chicago Bears | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Data effective as of post date.
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Best TV plans to watch the Detroit Lions
Watching the Detroit Lions this season is going to be interesting for fans. While Many of their games are on broadcast TV, there’s a couple of outliers that might bring some frustration.
Mainly, I recommend YouTube TV to get the most access to Lions games (more on that in a sec). But you can’t avoid at least getting a free trial to Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to cover the Week 14 and Week 17 games.
YouTube TV ($82.99/mo.)
YouTube TV is a robust service I like a ton. Not only does it have every broadcast channel that will show Detroit Lions and other NFL games (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX). It also offers ESPN, which airs least two Lions games in 2025. That’s already pretty cool.
But the service also features a robust library of news, entertainment, film, and TV content. It has a seamless and good-looking interface so I can find things easily. And, one of my favorite features: unlimited DVR storage.
You can get full Lions coverage with most TV providers, but the number of games you’ll get depends on your location because of the NFL’s TV blackout policies. Here’s a list of popular TV services that offer the core NFL channels.
| Provider | Price | ABC | CBS | FOX | ESPN | NBC | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | $71.00–$162.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for DIRECTV Read DIRECTV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for DIRECTV STREAM Read Stream with DIRECTV review |
| DISH | $96.99–$126.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for DISH Read DISH review |
| Fubo | $14.99–$94.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for FuboTV Read Fubo review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $81.99–$95.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for Hulu Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Optimum | $15.00–$140.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for Optimum Read Optimum review |
| Philo | $28.00/mo. | — | — | — | — | — |
View Plans for Philo Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | $19.99–$60.99/mo. | ✔* | — | ✔* | ✔ | ✔* |
View Plans for Sling TV Read Sling TV review |
| Spectrum | $40.00–$110.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Check Availability Read Spectrum review |
| Verizon Fios | $95.00–$139.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for Verizon Read Verizon Fios review |
| Xfinity | $35.00–$90.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Xfinity review |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View Plans for YouTube TV Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Available in select markets.
Watch Detroit Lions football for free
*CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $46.99 (as of 7/25/25 11:20 a.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
Want to watch every Detroit Lions game for free this season? The Mohu Leaf 50 is an over-the-air (OTA) antenna that’ll let you watch major networks like CBS and FOX for free. Check out our OTA antenna guide for more of our top OTA picks.
Prefer to stream a Detroit Lions game? Nearly every live TV streaming service offers free trials—visit our guide to streaming service free trials to learn more.
How to watch Detroit Lions FAQ
Have the Detroit Lions ever won a Super Bowl?
No, the Lions have yet to win a Super Bowl in the team's history.
How can I stream the Detroit Lions?
You can stream Detroit Lions games using any live TV streaming service that offers NFL channels like CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC. We recommend YouTube TV for its channel lineup, multiview feature, and ease of use, though you’ll need the pricey NFL Sunday Ticket add-on if you’re an out-of-market fan. Additionally, you’ll need an Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch any Thursday Night Football game. In 2025, the Lions also have a Christmas Day game streaming on Netflix.
How do I watch Detroit Lions games for free?
To watch Detroit Lions games for free, we recommend using an OTA antenna or getting a free trial of a streaming service like DIRECTV STREAM. These options let you watch channels like ABC, NBC, and FOX without paying a long-term subscription fee.
What is the Lions TV Network?
The Lions TV Network is a suite of local channels across Michigan and Ohio that give Detroit Lions fans access to games throughout the preseason and regular season. The networks affiliated with the Lions TV Network are ABC, CBS, and FOX.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com senior writer, Eric Chiu, analyzed this season’s Detroit Lions game schedule and confirmed channel listings and game times with each broadcaster. From there, he compared cable, satellite, and streaming services to identify top provider recommendations based on channel access, pricing, and user experience.
Check out our How We Rank page for more details on our methodology.
Disclaimer
*Amazon price as of 7/25/25 11:20 a.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
