If you are getting ready for the 2026 NFL season, you may be wondering: does the NFL Sunday Ticket include preseason games? The short answer is no, not as part of the NFL Sunday Ticket package itself. However, there is an important distinction for people who subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV.
In 2026, NFL Sunday Ticket remains focused on out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games. Preseason coverage is handled separately through the channels included with YouTube TV. That means a subscriber with YouTube TV plus NFL Sunday Ticket can watch most preseason games, but those games are available because of the YouTube TV plan rather than the Sunday Ticket add-on.
For viewers who purchase NFL Sunday Ticket as a standalone YouTube Primetime Channel, preseason games are not included.
Does the NFL Sunday Ticket Include Preseason Games in 2026?
The answer depends on how you purchase NFL Sunday Ticket.
If you buy NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV, you can watch most preseason NFL games available on the channels included with your YouTube TV subscription. These can include preseason broadcasts on NFL Network and local networks such as CBS, FOX and NBC, depending on your location and channel lineup.
However, this does not mean NFL Sunday Ticket itself includes preseason games.
NFL Sunday Ticket is designed primarily for Sunday afternoon regular-season games that are outside your local broadcast market. The preseason games available to a YouTube TV subscriber come through the underlying YouTube TV service.
If you purchase NFL Sunday Ticket separately through YouTube Primetime Channels, the situation is different. The standalone package does not include preseason games.
Why the Difference Between YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket Matters
The easiest way to understand the setup is to think of YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket as two separate products.
YouTube TV provides access to its available local and national channels. Those channels carry many NFL preseason games, regular-season games and postseason games.
NFL Sunday Ticket is an additional package that expands access to regular-season Sunday afternoon games that are being shown outside your local market.
So, if you have both services, you get broader NFL coverage than you would get from NFL Sunday Ticket alone.
YouTube TV’s current NFL guidance specifically says subscribers can watch most preseason games through their YouTube TV plan, while NFL Sunday Ticket adds out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games once the regular season begins.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket Cover Out-of-Market Preseason Games?
This is one of the most important points for NFL fans.
NFL Sunday Ticket is associated with the phrase “out of market,” but its out-of-market coverage applies to regular-season Sunday afternoon games, not preseason games.
For example, if you live in Seattle but want to watch a preseason game involving a team from another market, you should not assume that NFL Sunday Ticket will automatically provide the game.
Instead, you need to determine which network is carrying the preseason matchup and whether that network is available through your television or streaming service.
With YouTube TV, most preseason games carried on available local and national channels can be watched through the base plan.
How to Watch NFL Preseason Games With YouTube TV
If you already subscribe to YouTube TV, you generally do not need NFL Sunday Ticket just to watch preseason football.
YouTube TV says its NFL coverage includes most preseason games carried locally and nationally. Depending on the broadcast, preseason games may appear on NFL Network, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN or other channels included in the subscriber’s plan and viewing area.
This makes YouTube TV useful for fans who want preseason coverage before the regular season begins.
The exact games available can vary by location, because local broadcasts are determined by your current viewing area and the networks available there.
What About NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube Primetime Channels?
If you buy NFL Sunday Ticket as a YouTube Primetime Channel, you should not expect preseason coverage.
YouTube’s official guidance states that NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube provides out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games. Preseason games, postseason games and locally or nationally televised games are not part of the standalone NFL Sunday Ticket package.
That distinction is especially important when comparing the standalone package with the YouTube TV option.
A viewer who only purchases the Primetime Channel may need another service or television provider to watch preseason games.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket Include Every NFL Game?
No. NFL Sunday Ticket is not an all-inclusive NFL package.
Its primary purpose is to provide access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games. It does not replace every other NFL broadcast service.
For example, games that are nationally televised or carried through other exclusive streaming arrangements can fall outside NFL Sunday Ticket’s coverage.
YouTube’s current game availability information also explains that NFL Sunday Ticket does not include preseason games, postseason games, locally televised games or nationally televised games when purchased as a standalone YouTube Primetime Channel.
This is why fans often need to combine services to follow an NFL team throughout the entire season.
Can You Watch Preseason Games With NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV?
Yes, but the wording is important.
If you have an active YouTube TV subscription and NFL Sunday Ticket, you can watch most preseason games that are carried by the channels available through your YouTube TV plan.
The preseason games are not being supplied by the NFL Sunday Ticket add-on itself. They are part of the NFL programming available through YouTube TV.
YouTube’s official support information specifically separates these benefits: YouTube TV provides preseason, local and national NFL games, while NFL Sunday Ticket adds out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games.
What Preseason Games Are Available in 2026?
The 2026 NFL preseason includes games involving all 32 teams, with most teams scheduled to play three preseason games.
The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers have an additional preseason game because they participated in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The NFL announced the 2026 preseason schedule in May.
Where each game can be watched depends on its broadcast arrangement.
Some games are carried locally, while others receive national exposure. Therefore, fans should check the specific game and network rather than assuming that NFL Sunday Ticket provides access.
Does the NFL Sunday Ticket Season Pass Start During the Preseason?
No.
The NFL Sunday Ticket season pass is structured around the regular season. YouTube’s current information says a season pass provides access from the first Sunday regular-season game in September through the final Sunday regular-season game in January.
That means the preseason is not the starting point for the NFL Sunday Ticket season pass.
This is another reason fans should not purchase the package solely because they want preseason coverage.
What Does NFL Sunday Ticket Actually Include?
The core benefit is straightforward: NFL Sunday Ticket provides access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games.
This is especially useful for fans who live away from their favorite team’s local broadcast market.
For example, a fan who follows a team based in another state can use NFL Sunday Ticket to watch that team’s Sunday afternoon games that are not being shown on the fan’s local CBS or FOX broadcast.
NFL Sunday Ticket does not simply provide every NFL game on every day of the week. Its coverage is centered on the qualifying Sunday afternoon regular-season matchups.
What You Need to Watch Preseason and Regular-Season NFL Games
For fans who want broad NFL coverage, the combination of YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket can make more sense than buying NFL Sunday Ticket by itself.
YouTube TV provides access to available local and national NFL broadcasts, including most preseason games.
Adding NFL Sunday Ticket then provides access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games.
YouTube’s current NFL guidance describes this combination as providing preseason games, local and national regular-season games, out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games and nationally carried postseason games, subject to applicable availability and restrictions.
Important Preseason Restrictions
Even with YouTube TV, preseason availability is not necessarily identical for every viewer.
Local broadcast rights and network availability can affect what you see in your area.
YouTube also notes an important restriction involving NFL Network. If a preseason game in your local area is airing simultaneously on a local channel and NFL Network, the NFL Network broadcast can be subject to an embargo in that market.
YouTube says most preseason games are later re-aired on NFL Network, and those later broadcasts are not subject to the same restriction.
Therefore, if a preseason game does not appear on NFL Network in your area, it does not necessarily mean the game is unavailable altogether.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket Include Preseason Games on the Student Plan?
The NFL Sunday Ticket Student Plan also does not include preseason games as part of the standalone Sunday Ticket package.
YouTube’s current student-plan information says the plan provides regular-season Sunday afternoon out-of-market games carried on CBS and FOX. Preseason games, postseason games and locally or nationally broadcast games are excluded.
Students who want preseason coverage therefore need access to the appropriate television or streaming channels separately.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket Include Preseason Games or Just Regular-Season Games?
For the standalone NFL Sunday Ticket package, the answer is essentially regular-season games.
The package is built around Sunday afternoon regular-season games outside the subscriber’s local market.
Preseason coverage is separate.
If you use YouTube TV, however, your overall YouTube TV subscription can provide access to most preseason games carried on the channels available in your area. Adding NFL Sunday Ticket expands your coverage once the regular season starts.
The Simple Answer for NFL Fans
If you are still asking, does the NFL Sunday Ticket include preseason games, the simplest answer is:
- NFL Sunday Ticket by itself: No, preseason games are not included.
- NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV: Most preseason games can be watched through the YouTube TV plan.
- YouTube TV without NFL Sunday Ticket: Most available preseason games can still be watched.
- NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube Primetime Channels: Preseason games are not included.
- NFL Sunday Ticket’s main purpose: Out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games.
This distinction can prevent fans from paying for NFL Sunday Ticket expecting it to function as a complete preseason package.
Key Points to Remember
- NFL Sunday Ticket is primarily an out-of-market regular-season Sunday afternoon package.
- Standalone NFL Sunday Ticket does not include preseason games.
- YouTube TV subscribers can watch most preseason games carried by the channels available in their plan.
- Buying NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV does not mean the preseason games are supplied by the Sunday Ticket add-on.
- Local broadcast rights, network availability and regional restrictions can affect individual preseason games.
- The 2026 NFL preseason is scheduled before the regular season begins on September 9.
- NFL Sunday Ticket season access is structured around the regular season rather than the preseason.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket include preseason games?
No. The standalone NFL Sunday Ticket package does not include preseason games. However, if you have NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on to YouTube TV, you can watch most preseason games through the channels included with your YouTube TV plan.
Can I watch preseason NFL games with YouTube TV?
Yes. YouTube TV says subscribers can watch most preseason NFL games carried locally and nationally, subject to channel availability and local broadcast restrictions.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket include preseason games on YouTube?
No. NFL Sunday Ticket purchased through YouTube Primetime Channels is limited to eligible out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games and does not include preseason games.
Do I need NFL Sunday Ticket to watch preseason football?
No. You generally do not need NFL Sunday Ticket to watch preseason games. Many preseason broadcasts are available through local and national channels included with services such as YouTube TV.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket include all NFL games?
No. NFL Sunday Ticket primarily covers qualifying out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season games. Local, nationally televised, preseason, postseason and certain exclusive games may require other coverage.
When does NFL Sunday Ticket coverage begin?
The NFL Sunday Ticket season pass begins with the first Sunday regular-season game in September and runs through the final Sunday regular-season game in January.
If you have more questions about NFL Sunday Ticket and preseason coverage, share your thoughts in the comments and stay updated as the 2026 NFL season gets underway.