Look, I get it. You sat down, grabbed a drink, and realized the TV schedule looks a little empty today. If you're wondering what channel is Kansas City Chiefs on right now, the honest answer is a bit of a bummer: none of them.
The Chiefs just wrapped up a uncharacteristically rough 2025 season with a 14-12 loss to the Raiders on January 4, 2026. For the first time in a decade, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are watching the playoffs from the couch instead of leading them.
Since they finished 6-11 and third in the AFC West, there is no game today, January 13, 2026. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't know where to look when the 2026 season kicks off or if you're looking for replays of this past year’s roller coaster.
Where the Chiefs Air (Usually)
When the season is actually in full swing, finding the game is basically a game of "follow the broadcast rights." It changes every single week depending on the opponent and the time slot.
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Basically, most Sunday afternoon games land on CBS. That’s their "home" network because they are an AFC team. If they play an NFC team at home, you might see them move over to FOX.
Primetime is where it gets messy.
- Monday Night Football: ESPN or ABC.
- Sunday Night Football: NBC (and streaming on Peacock).
- Thursday Night Football: Amazon Prime Video.
This past Christmas, for example, the Chiefs played on Prime Video against the Broncos. If you were looking for them on cable that night, you were out of luck. You’ve gotta stay on your toes with the NFL’s "flex scheduling," which can move a game from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night with only a couple of weeks' notice.
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How to Watch Kansas City Chiefs Without Cable
Honestly, cable is becoming a dinosaur for NFL fans. If you’ve cut the cord, you have way more options than you used to, but it's sort of a "pick your poison" situation with subscriptions.
If you live in the Kansas City area, a simple digital antenna is your best friend. It’s free. It gets you CBS, FOX, and NBC in high definition. You’ll miss the Monday night games on ESPN, but for 80% of the season, a $20 piece of plastic on your window does the job.
For the streamers, Paramount+ is the easiest way to catch those CBS games. If the game is on your local CBS station, it’s on Paramount+. Simple. YouTube TV is the big kahuna because it has almost everything, plus the option for NFL Sunday Ticket if you live outside of KC and need to see every single snap.
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The 2026 Opponents Are Already Set
Even though the pads aren't popping today, we already know who the Chiefs are playing in the 2026 season. Because they finished third in the division, their 2026 schedule actually looks a bit "easier" on paper—if there is such a thing in the NFL.
At Arrowhead, we’re going to see the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and New England Patriots. On the road, they’ve got tough trips to face the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
We won't know the exact dates or which specific channels these games are on until the NFL drops the official schedule in May 2026. Usually, that happens the second week of May. That’s when you can start circling dates and figuring out if you need to renew that Peacock or Amazon Prime subscription.
What to Do While Waiting for Kickoff
Since there’s no game today, your best bet for a Chiefs fix is NFL+. They carry the full game replays.
If you're really hurting for content, the local KC station KSHB 41 often runs specials, and the official Chiefs YouTube channel is pretty much a 24/7 stream of mic'd up segments and offseason workouts.
Actionable Steps for the Offseason
- Check your subscriptions: If you only have Peacock or Prime for football, go ahead and cancel those for the next few months to save some cash.
- Mark your calendar for May: The 2026 schedule release is a holiday in Kansas City. That's when we'll know the "what channel" answer for every single week.
- Upgrade your gear: If you struggled with a fuzzy picture this year, the offseason is the best time to buy a 4K TV or a better antenna before the 2026 preseason starts in August.