Thursday Night Football officially begins its 2026 regular-season slate with a potentially explosive matchup.
The Detroit Lions visit the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, Sept. 17, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The game will stream nationally on Prime Video, with mobile access also available through NFL+.
What Channel Is Lions vs. Bills On?
National broadcast: Prime Video
Mobile: NFL+
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. CT / 6:15 p.m. MT / 5:15 p.m. PT
Pregame: TNF Tonight begins at 7 p.m. ET
Stadium: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Prime Video is the national home of Thursday Night Football, so viewers outside the participating local markets will need Prime Video to watch the game live. The broadcast is also available through Amazon.com, Twitch and on eligible phones and tablets through NFL+. Local over-the-air television will be available in the Buffalo and Detroit markets.
Who Is Calling Lions-Bills?
Prime Video’s lead Thursday Night Football crew returns for 2026:
Al Michaels — play-by-play
Kirk Herbstreit — analyst
Kaylee Hartung — sideline reporter
Charissa Thompson hosts the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage alongside Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman.
Why Lions-Bills Is a Big Week 2 Game
This game carries additional significance for Buffalo because it will be the first regular-season game played at the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium. The franchise specifically scheduled the Week 2 Thursday night matchup as the stadium’s national debut.
The football matchup is pretty compelling too.
Buffalo brings Josh Allen, James Cook and DJ Moore into the game, while Detroit counters with Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The teams’ last meeting in 2024 produced 90 combined points and more than 1,000 yards of offense, so the NFL clearly saw potential for fireworks when it selected this matchup to open Prime Video’s 2026 Thursday schedule.
Buffalo will also feature OneRepublic during the first halftime show at the new stadium, with part of the performance included in Prime Video’s broadcast.
Lions vs. Bills Viewing Guide
Matchup: Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Date: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
National stream: Prime Video
Mobile: NFL+
Pregame: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Lions-Bills kicks off Thursday night at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
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