NFL Hall of Fame Game 2026: How to Watch Cardinals vs Panthers
Football returns August 6 when the Cardinals host the Panthers in Canton at 8 PM ET on NBC. How to watch, the Class of 2026, and the full preseason schedule.
Football is back next week. The Hall of Fame Game in Canton kicks off the NFL’s 107th season on August 6, more than a month before Week 1, and it is the first live football of the year. Here is the matchup, how to watch, and where it sits in the preseason calendar.
The quick answer
- When: Thursday, August 6, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
- Who: Arizona Cardinals host the Carolina Panthers
- Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
- TV: NBC, with streaming on Peacock
- Why these teams: two Class of 2026 inductees spent their entire careers with them
- Next up: Preseason Week 1 runs August 13 to 15
Why Cardinals and Panthers
The pairing is not random. Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals) and Luke Kuechly (Panthers) each spent their entire careers with the team that drafted them, and both are in the Class of 2026. The Hall of Fame Game traditionally features the teams tied to that year’s inductees, so the matchup is the enshrinement weekend in football form.
The full Class of 2026 also includes Drew Brees, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri, who will be recognized on the field during pregame, per the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s event page.
How to watch
The game airs on NBC, which means the widest possible access:
- Over the air with an antenna. NBC is a broadcast network, so this costs nothing beyond the antenna
- Cable or satellite, wherever NBC sits in your lineup
- Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, which carries the network’s NFL coverage
- Live-TV streamers that carry NBC, such as YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV
For a preseason game there is no reason to add a subscription. If you can pull NBC from the air, that is the whole answer.
Where it sits in the calendar
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Hall of Fame Game | Aug 6 |
| Preseason Week 1 | Aug 13 - 15 |
| Preseason Week 2 | Aug 20 - 23 |
| Preseason Week 3 | Aug 27 - 29 |
| Regular season Week 1 | Sep 9 - 14 |
So this is a full five weeks of football before games count. Our guide to the 2026 NFL season kickoff and Week 1 schedule covers what happens when the regular season starts, including the Wednesday opener and the international game on Netflix.
What to expect from the game itself
Temper expectations, because a Hall of Fame Game is not a preview of the season:
- Starters barely play, often a series or not at all. The roster you see is mostly players fighting for the final spots
- The result means nothing for the standings or for either team’s outlook
- The value is roster watching. Position battles and rookie first impressions are the real story
- Pregame is the point for many viewers, with the Class of 2026 recognized on the field
Bottom line
Thursday, August 6, 8 PM ET, Cardinals vs Panthers in Canton, on NBC and Peacock. It is the first football of the year and free to watch over the air. Preseason proper starts the following week, and games that count begin September 9.
Date, teams, venue, and Class of 2026 details verified against the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s official event page and the NFL’s official schedule as of July 29, 2026. Networks occasionally adjust coverage; confirm on the official schedule closer to kickoff.