Look, I get it. You’re sitting there, maybe you’ve got the gumbo starting to simmer, and you just want to know where to find the Black and Gold. Searching for what channel is the Saints game on shouldn't feel like a part-time job, but between the streaming wars and the way the NFL moves games around these days, it’s a bit of a mess.
The short answer for right now? If you are looking for the New Orleans Saints today, January 17, 2026, they aren't on the field. The Saints finished their 2025-2026 season back on January 4th with a tough 19-17 loss to the Falcons. Since they finished 6-11 and missed the postseason, they’re officially in "wait until next year" mode while the Divisional Round of the playoffs happens without them.
Where to Find the NFL Action Today
Even if our Saints are sitting at home in Metairie, there is a ton of football happening today. If you just want to scratch that NFL itch, here is what’s actually on your TV right now for the Divisional Playoffs.
- Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos: This one kicks off at 4:30 PM ET. You can catch it on CBS. If you’ve cut the cord, it’s streaming live on Paramount+.
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks: The nightcap starts at 8:00 PM ET. This is a FOX game.
It’s a bit of a bummer not seeing the Saints in these slots, especially with the 49ers and Seahawks getting prime real estate. But honestly, watching Bo Nix and the Broncos try to handle Josh Allen is a decent consolation prize for a Saturday afternoon.
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How the Saints TV Schedule Works
If you’re trying to plan ahead for the 2026 season—which, let's be real, is what every Saints fan is doing after a 6-11 finish—the broadcast rules are pretty consistent. Usually, what channel is the Saints game on depends on who they are playing and where.
Since the Saints are an NFC team, the vast majority of their Sunday afternoon games land on FOX (locally that’s WVUE FOX 8). When they play an AFC team at the Superdome, or sometimes just based on "cross-flexing" rules, you’ll find them on CBS.
The Streaming Shift
We've seen a massive shift in how these games are delivered. It’s not just about flipping to Channel 8 anymore.
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- NFL+: This is the league's own app. If you're in the New Orleans market, you can watch live local games on your phone or tablet. You can't broadcast it to your 75-inch TV, though, which is a major "kinda annoying" factor for most of us.
- YouTube TV: They own NFL Sunday Ticket now. If you live in, say, Chicago or Dallas and want to see every Saints game, this is basically your only legal option.
- Amazon Prime: Thursday Night Football is still locked behind the Prime paywall. If the Saints get a Thursday slot in 2026 (and they probably will, the NFL loves a mid-week Saints-Falcons matchup), you’ll need a subscription or a local broadcast.
What Happened to the Saints This Season?
You might be asking why we're even talking about the playoffs without New Orleans. Honestly, the 2025 season was a rollercoaster that ended in a ditch. After moving on from the Dennis Allen era and bringing in Kellen Moore as the head coach, expectations were high.
Tyler Shough took over at quarterback and showed flashes of being "the guy," but the consistency just wasn't there. Finishing 6-11 means the Saints are picking high in the draft, but it also means no January football. The defense, led by the aging but still productive veterans, kept them in games, but the offense stalled out too often in the red zone.
The final game against the Falcons on January 4th was a heartbreaker. A two-point loss to your biggest rival to end the season? That's the kind of thing that makes a fan base want to throw their remote through the TV.
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Looking Forward to the 2026 Opponents
The 2026 schedule is already starting to take shape, even if we don't have the exact dates yet. We know what channel is the Saints game on generally, but we also know who they'll be facing. Because New Orleans finished fourth in the NFC South, they’ll play a "fourth-place" schedule.
Expect to see home games against the Packers, Vikings, Browns, and Steelers, along with the usual suspects in the NFC South. They’ll have to travel to face the Ravens, Bengals, and Lions. That road schedule looks absolutely brutal on paper.
How to Stay Ready for Kickoff
If you want to make sure you never miss a game once the 2026 preseason starts in August, here’s a quick checklist of things to verify:
- Check your antenna: If you live in the New Orleans area, a simple digital antenna gets you FOX and CBS in HD for free. It’s the most reliable way to beat the lag of streaming apps.
- Log into your provider: If you use Cox or Spectrum, make sure your login for the FOX Sports app is working. It's a great backup if your main TV goes down.
- Watch the flex schedule: Remember that starting in Week 5, the NFL can move Sunday afternoon games to Sunday Night Football on NBC. They can also flex Monday Night games now. Always check the schedule on Thursday morning to see if the time or channel has changed.
The Saints might be out of the running today, but the 2026 season will be here before we know it. In the meantime, enjoy the Divisional Round and maybe root against the Falcons or Panthers if they ever manage to get back this far.
To stay ahead of the next season, start by mapping out your streaming services now. If you plan on watching every out-of-market game, look into early-bird pricing for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, which usually drops in the spring. You can also monitor the official NFL schedule release in May to see exactly which games will be primetime "national" broadcasts on ESPN, NBC, or Amazon Prime.