We contend that Thanksgiving is the top fall holiday for several reasons: You get good company, better eating, and a reason to sit down and watch football all weekend.
This year’s Thanksgiving football lineup is filled with excellent matchups that’ll take you from dinner preparation to Black Friday shopping. Whether you’re an NFL or college football fan, here’s what you need to know about the Thanksgiving college football and NFL game slate.
NFL Thanksgiving games
This year’s Thanksgiving NFL games feature a full slate of great matchups across the league.
The NFL Thanksgiving lineup opens with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. The midday matchup will feature the Dallas Cowboys versus a rebuilding New York Giants squad, while the Thanksgiving Day nightcap will be an NFC West clash between the Dolphins and Seahawks.
If the NFL’s Thanksgiving game schedule wasn’t enough, Amazon has also gotten into the Thanksgiving NFL business. As part of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football deal, Prime Video will have a Black Friday AFC West matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
Thanksgiving NFL games schedule
| Day | Game | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions | 12:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. | FOX, Fox Deportes |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers | 8:20 p.m. | NBC, Telemundo, UNIVERSO, Peacock |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs | 3:00 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
Data effective as of post date.
Pro tip: Want more football content? Check out our weekly NFL schedule and college football schedule guides for our top picks and football takes.
College football Thanksgiving games
Annual rivalries like the Egg Bowl, Nebraska vs. Iowa, and Georgia Tech vs. Georgia will anchor this year’s college football Thanksgiving Day lineup. Black Friday features a full day of college football games, while Memphis vs. Tulane will be the sole Thanksgiving Day college football game.
College football Thanksgiving schedule
| Day | Game | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Nov. 26 | Toledo at Akron | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Tuesday, Nov. 26 | Kent State at Buffalo | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | Tuskegee at Alabama State | 2:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | Memphis at Tulane | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Oregon State at Boise State | Noon | FOX |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Oklahoma State at Colorado | Noon | ABC, ESPN+ |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Minnesota at Wisconsin | Noon | CBS, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Miami (OH) at Bowling Green | Noon | ESPNU |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Navy at East Carolina | Noon | ESPN |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Ball State at Ohio | Noon | CBS Sports Network |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Mississippi State at Ole Miss | 3:30 p.m. | ABC, ESPN+ |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Liberty at Sam Houston | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Utah State at Colorado State | 3:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Texas State at South Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Stanford at San José State | 4:00 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Georgia Tech at Georgia | 7:30 p.m. | ABC, ESPN+ |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Nebraska at Iowa | 7:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Utah at UCF | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch football on Thanksgiving for free
*CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 6/24/24 9:30 a.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
The NFL Thanksgiving Day games are all shared between FOX, NBC, and CBS, so you have multiple ways to tune in on Thanksgiving Day. All three channels are included on cable and streaming TV plans, so you’re set if you already have a TV setup.
If you want to watch NFL Thanksgiving football for free, we recommend installing an over-the-air (OTA) antenna like the Mohu Leaf on your TV. OTA antennas pull from local broadcast feeds and let you watch major channels like FOX and NBC for free. Streaming TV services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo have free trial periods if you need to figure out a streaming setup on Thanksgiving Day. Check out our streaming TV trials guide to learn about these free offers.
As for the NFL’s Black Friday game, it’ll be a Prime Video exclusive, but you won’t need an active Amazon Prime membership to watch the game. Amazon will broadcast the game for free, and you’ll just need an Amazon account to watch it. Visit our Amazon Prime Video review to find out more.
FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC will get multiple college football Thanksgiving games, and you can watch them for free with an OTA antenna or standard TV plan. You can also watch Thanksgiving college football games with a streaming TV service, and many streaming providers like Fubo offer free trials.
How to watch football on Thanksgiving FAQ
What NFL teams play on Thanksgiving?
This year, the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs will play on Thanksgiving.
What college football games are on Thanksgiving?
Memphis–Tulane and Tuskegee–Alabama State will be on Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday will feature at least 14 football games, including Iowa vs. Nebraska, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, and Minnesota vs. Wisconsin.
What time is the NFL Thanksgiving game?
The NFL’s Thanksgiving games start at 12:30 p.m. ET with Packers vs. Lions. Washington vs. Dallas is at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the schedule wraps up with 49ers vs. Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET. Prime Video will also have Dolphins vs. Jets on Black Friday, and kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Who’s performing at halftime on Thanksgiving?
The NFL’s three Thanksgiving matchups will feature the following halftime performers:
- Shaboozey (during Bears–Lions on CBS)
- Lainey Wilson (during Giants–Cowboys on FOX)
- Lindsey Stirling (during Dolphins–Packers on NBC)
Why you should trust us
We analyzed this year’s Thanksgiving college football and NFL schedule to figure out this year’s top matchups. We also drew from our cord-cutter and streaming deal coverage to find the best college football and NFL watch solutions for your home.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
Disclaimer
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Amazon.com price as of 6/24/24 9:30 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.
