If you’re sitting on your couch right now, remote in hand, wondering is there nfl thursday night football tonight, the answer depends entirely on where we are in the calendar. It’s frustrating. You get into a rhythm all September and October, expecting that familiar hum of the Amazon Prime broadcast, only to find a holiday or a playoff shift has completely wrecked your plans.
Football fans are creatures of habit. We want our wings, our fantasy scores, and our mid-week distraction. But the NFL is a business that loves to move the goalposts—literally and figuratively—when it comes to broadcasting rights.
The Short Answer: Is the Game Actually On?
Since today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the short answer is no. There is no NFL Thursday Night Football tonight.
Why? Because the regular season has wrapped up. We are firmly in the post-season cycle where the league pivots its entire scheduling logic toward Super Wild Card Weekend and the Divisional rounds. Thursday night games are almost exclusively a regular-season staple. Once the playoffs hit, the NFL shifts its inventory to Saturdays, Sundays, and the occasionally polarizing Monday night slot.
It’s a bit of a letdown if you’ve spent the last four months conditioned to expect a game on Thursdays. Usually, the Thursday Night Football (TNF) package on Amazon Prime Video runs from Week 2 through Week 17. By the time we hit mid-January, that window has closed. The players need the recovery time, and the league wants the massive ratings that come with weekend playoff blocks.
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Why the Thursday Schedule is So Confusing
It wasn’t always this way. Remember when Thursday games only happened on Thanksgiving? Those were simpler times. Now, between Amazon’s massive $1 billion-a-year deal and the league’s "flexible scheduling" tweaks, keeping track of is there nfl thursday night football tonight requires a PhD in sports media.
One of the biggest hang-ups for fans is the Thanksgiving "tripleheader." On that specific Thursday, the games aren't even on Prime Video; they’re split between CBS, FOX, and NBC. Then you have the "Black Friday" game, which is technically a different beast altogether. If you’re checking your app in late November or December, you might see games on Saturdays that look like Thursday games but aren't. It’s a mess.
Honestly, the NFL knows you'll find the game. They’ve gambled on the fact that football is "appointment viewing," meaning they can put a game on a Tuesday afternoon during a blizzard (it’s happened) and people will still tune in.
The Amazon Prime Factor
Most people asking about tonight's game are looking for Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon. Since 2022, Prime Video has been the exclusive home for the bulk of these matchups. If you’re looking at your cable guide and seeing nothing but "SportsCenter" or reruns of sitcoms, that’s why. You have to open the app.
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But there’s a catch. If you live in the local market of the two teams playing, the game is required by league rules to be broadcast on a local over-the-air station. So, if the Giants are playing the Eagles on a Thursday, fans in New York and Philly don’t actually need a Prime subscription. Everyone else? You’re paying for the Jeff Bezos special.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
Since we are currently in the 2025-2026 playoff cycle, you’re likely looking toward the future. The 2026 regular season will kick off in September. Here is what we know about the Thursday night structure moving forward:
The NFL "Kickoff Game"—the very first game of the season—always falls on a Thursday. However, technically, this isn't part of the "Thursday Night Football" package. It’s usually an NBC "Sunday Night Football" production that just happens to take place on a Thursday. Confused yet?
The actual Amazon Prime TNF schedule typically starts the following week (Week 2). For 2026, expect the league to continue its "flex" policy. This allows the NFL to move late-season games from Sunday to Thursday to ensure we don't get stuck watching two teams with 3-11 records battle it out in a meaningless game in December. They have to give the teams 28 days' notice, so you won't be surprised at the last minute, but it does make planning a trip to the stadium a nightmare.
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Player Safety vs. Revenue
You can’t talk about Thursday night games without mentioning the "short week" controversy. Players generally hate it. Coaches loathe it. Imagine playing a high-impact collision sport on Sunday afternoon, waking up sore on Monday, and having to be back at full speed for a professional game by Thursday.
- Recovery Time: Pro-Bowl players like Travis Kelce and veteran defenders have been vocal about the physical toll.
- Quality of Play: Critics argue that TNF games are sloppier because teams don't have time to install a full game plan.
- The Bottom Line: Ratings don't care about soreness. Thursday night games consistently outperform almost anything else on television.
The league has tried to mitigate this by ensuring that teams playing on Thursday usually had a home game the previous Sunday, or at least didn't have to travel across the country. They also try to give teams their "Bye Week" around their Thursday slot when possible, though the math doesn't always work out for all 32 franchises.
How to Check for Games in the Future
If you want to be certain about the schedule, don't just trust your memory. The NFL schedule is usually released in mid-May. That’s when the dates for every single Thursday night matchup are set in stone (barring the aforementioned flex scheduling).
- Check the Official NFL App: It’s the most reliable source for real-time changes.
- Prime Video Schedule: Amazon usually advertises their slate months in advance.
- Local Listings: If it's a holiday, check NBC or FOX instead of streaming services.
Actionable Steps for the Football Fan
Since there isn't a game tonight, you have to find other ways to get your fix. First, download the schedule for the 2026 season as soon as it drops in May so you can mark your calendar for the Thursday openers. If you're a fantasy football player, remember that Thursday games mean you have to set your lineup much earlier than usual; there’s nothing worse than leaving a star player on your bench because you forgot it was Thursday.
Verify your streaming subscriptions now. If you don't have Amazon Prime, you'll miss about 15 games of the regular season. Also, keep an eye on the "Black Friday" game trends—the NFL is leaning heavily into holiday-adjacent Thursday and Friday games to capture that shopping audience. For now, enjoy the playoff heat on the weekends, because the Thursday night lights won't turn back on until the late summer heat of September.