You've probably felt that mid-January panic before. It's Friday night, the wings are ordered for the weekend, and suddenly you realize you have no idea if the big game is on CBS, some obscure streaming app, or if you need to go buy a digital antenna. Tomorrow is Friday, January 16, 2026, and while the NFL is taking a breather before the Divisional Round starts on Saturday, there is still plenty of action if you know where to look.
Honestly, the "football" landscape has changed so much lately. Between the NFL playoffs, the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP), and the European leagues all fighting for your eyeballs, keeping track is a nightmare.
If you’re specifically asking what channel are the football games on tomorrow, the answer depends on which "football" you’re chasing. Here is the literal, no-nonsense breakdown for Friday’s slate.
The NFL Gap: Why Tomorrow is Quiet
Let’s address the elephant in the room. There are no NFL games tomorrow.
We just wrapped up an insane Wild Card Weekend where the Steelers hosted the Texans on Monday night. The league usually gives the athletes a few days to actually recover before the Divisional Round kicks off.
If you were hoping for a Friday night NFL fix, you’ve basically got to wait until Saturday, January 17. That’s when things get real. Tomorrow is your window to get chores done, talk to your family, or—more likely—pivot to the other kind of football.
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Soccer Takes Over the Friday Slate
Since the NFL is dark tomorrow, European soccer (the other football) is picking up the slack. If you're an early riser or work from home, you've actually got a decent lineup.
In Spain’s La Liga, there is a massive rivalry matchup tomorrow. Espanyol vs. Girona is the big one, and if you’re in the U.S., you’ll find that on ESPN+ or ESPN Deportes. It’s a Catalan derby, so expect it to be chippy.
Over in Germany, the Bundesliga is back in action with Werder Bremen vs. Eintracht Frankfurt. You can catch that on ESPN+ as well. The atmosphere at the Weserstadion is usually top-tier, even for a Friday night.
Italy’s Serie A also has a primetime game: Pisa vs. Atalanta. This one is a bit of a wildcard since Pisa has been fighting to stay relevant, but Atalanta is always fun to watch because they basically refuse to play defense. You’ll need a Paramount+ subscription for that one.
- La Liga: Espanyol vs. Girona (ESPN+)
- Bundesliga: Werder Bremen vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (ESPN+)
- Serie A: Pisa vs. Atalanta (Paramount+)
- Ligue 1: Monaco vs. Lorient (Ligue1+)
College Football: The Post-Semifinal Hangover
We are currently in a weird limbo for college ball. The CFP Semifinals just finished up on January 8th and 9th. If you missed it, Miami took down Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, and Indiana outlasted Oregon in the Peach Bowl.
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Tomorrow, January 16, doesn't have any live bowl games scheduled. We are all just waiting for the National Championship on Monday, January 19. If you turn on ESPN tomorrow, you're going to see a lot of "College GameDay" promos and analysts arguing about whether Miami's defense can handle Indiana's pace. It’s mostly talking heads tomorrow, not live snaps.
Planning for Saturday's NFL Divisional Round
Since tomorrow is a "prep day" for American football fans, you should probably set your DVRs now. The Divisional Round begins Saturday, January 17, and the schedule is finally locked in.
The Buffalo Bills are heading to Denver to face the Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET. That game is on CBS and Paramount+. It’s going to be freezing, which is exactly how Josh Allen likes it.
Later that night, we get an NFC West bloodbath: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks. That kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. These two teams already split their regular-season series, so the rubber match happens tomorrow... well, the day after tomorrow.
Quick Saturday TV Guide:
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (4:30 PM ET) – CBS / Paramount+
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (8:00 PM ET) – FOX / FOX One
How to Watch if You Don’t Have Cable
Look, "what channel" is a bit of an old-school question. Most of us are streaming.
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If you’re trying to catch the soccer games tomorrow or the NFL games on Saturday, you’ve basically got three main silos. ESPN+ is mandatory for the Spanish and German leagues. Paramount+ is where the Italian soccer and Saturday’s Bills/Broncos game live.
For the 49ers/Seahawks game on FOX, you can use a digital antenna for free, or a service like Sling TV or Fubo. Honestly, Fubo is usually the safest bet for sports fans because they carry almost everything, but it’s getting pricey.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
Stop scrolling and actually check your logins tonight. There is nothing worse than the game starting and you realizing your Paramount+ password expired or your credit card on file for ESPN+ is dead.
- Check your subscriptions: Make sure your ESPN+ and Paramount+ accounts are active tonight so you don't miss the 1:30 p.m. soccer kickoffs tomorrow.
- Set the DVR: If you’re going to be out Saturday afternoon, set your recording for Bills vs. Broncos now.
- Verify Local Channels: Use a site like TitanTV to confirm that your local CBS and FOX affiliates are actually showing the NFL games on Saturday if you're using an antenna.
Tomorrow might be a light day for the gridiron, but it's the perfect time to pivot to the pitch or just rest your liver before the Divisional Round chaos begins.