Tomorrow is basically a holiday for anyone who likes watching people chase a ball. Seriously. If you’re planning on being productive this Saturday, January 17, 2026, just give up now. Between the NFL Divisional Round moving into high gear and a massive slate of European soccer—including a Manchester Derby that honestly feels like it has more on the line than usual—your couch is going to see a lot of use.
You’ve got choices. Big ones.
Do you wake up at the crack of dawn for the Premier League or save your energy for the primetime NFL showdowns? Most fans end up doing both, fueled by too much coffee and questionable snack choices. Here is the literal, factual breakdown of what football games on tv tomorrow you actually need to care about.
The NFL Divisional Round: Win or Go Home
The playoffs are where things get weird. Tomorrow features two massive matchups that will determine who moves one step closer to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara.
First up at 4:30 p.m. ET, we have the Buffalo Bills traveling to face the Denver Broncos. You can catch this one on CBS. If you aren’t near a TV, Paramount+ is your best bet for streaming. This game is a classic "clash of styles" scenario. Denver has that high-altitude home-field advantage at Empower Field at Mile High, and the Bills are coming off a wild-card win where their defense looked surprisingly human.
Then, the nightcap. At 8:00 p.m. ET, it’s an NFC West bloodbath: the San Francisco 49ers at the Seattle Seahawks. This is airing on FOX.
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Lumen Field is going to be deafening. The 12th Man factor is real, and the 49ers are heading into a hostile environment against a division rival that knows their playbook inside and out. It’s the kind of game that usually ends with someone crying and a lot of controversial officiating talk on Twitter.
Premier League: The Manchester Derby Headlines
While the NFL dominates the afternoon, the morning belongs to England. If you’re on the East Coast, set an alarm.
The big one kicks off at 7:30 a.m. ET. It's Manchester United vs. Manchester City. This isn't just a rivalry; it’s a tactical chess match that usually involves Pep Guardiola overthinking something and United trying to survive on the counter-attack. You can watch this on USA Network and Universo.
If you sleep through that, the 10:00 a.m. ET window has plenty of variety:
- Liverpool vs. Burnley (USA Network / Universo)
- Chelsea vs. Brentford (Peacock)
- Tottenham vs. West Ham (Peacock)
The late game in England features Nottingham Forest hosting Arsenal at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Arsenal is chasing the title, and Forest at home is always a potential banana skin. Don't be surprised if this is the game everyone is talking about by lunchtime.
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European Giants: La Liga and Bundesliga Action
If English soccer isn't your thing, the rest of Europe is busy too.
In Spain, Real Madrid takes the field early. They face Levante at 8:00 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. Madrid is dealing with the fallout of Kylian Mbappé’s knee injury management, so keep an eye on how Xabi Alonso rotates the squad.
Later in La Liga:
- Mallorca vs. Athletic Bilbao at 10:15 a.m. ET
- Osasuna vs. Real Oviedo at 12:30 p.m. ET
- Real Betis vs. Villarreal at 3:00 p.m. ET
Over in Germany, the Bundesliga has a massive Saturday. The standout is RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This is usually a high-scoring affair where defending is optional. Earlier in the day (9:30 a.m. ET), you can catch Borussia Dortmund vs. St. Pauli or Hoffenheim vs. Bayer Leverkusen.
Serie A: Giants on the Move
Italy is serving up some heavy hitters tomorrow as well.
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Inter Milan travels to Udinese for a 9:00 a.m. ET kickoff on Paramount+. Following that, Napoli faces Sassuolo at 12:00 p.m. ET, which will be available on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
To wrap up the Italian slate, Juventus visits Cagliari at 2:45 p.m. ET. Juve has been a bit of a rollercoaster lately, and playing away in Sardinia is never as easy as the standings make it look.
How to Actually Watch Everything
Look, nobody has every single cable channel anymore. It’s a mess. If you’re trying to figure out what football games on tv tomorrow are available to you, you basically need a combination of a few apps.
- The Basics: You need an antenna or a live TV service (like Fubo, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV) for the NFL games on CBS and FOX.
- The Soccer Bundle: Most European soccer has moved to streaming. You need Peacock for the exclusive Premier League games, ESPN+ for La Liga and Bundesliga, and Paramount+ for Serie A.
- The Hidden Gem: CBS Sports Golazo Network is actually free on most smart TVs and the Pluto TV app, which is where you'll find some of the Italian coverage.
People often get wrong the idea that you can just find everything on one channel. You can't. You have to jump from app to app like a digital nomad. It's annoying, but it's the 2026 reality.
Actionable Strategy for Saturday
To survive this 15-hour sports marathon without losing your mind (or your marriage), follow this plan:
- 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.: Hydrate. Eat a real breakfast. This is your only window for health.
- 7:30 a.m.: Start with the Manchester Derby. If you miss the first 15 minutes, you'll spend the rest of the game trying to catch up on the narrative.
- 12:30 p.m.: This is the "overlap zone." You have Arsenal in England and Bayern/Leipzig in Germany. Pick one for the big screen and put the other on a tablet.
- 4:30 p.m.: Transition to NFL. Close the curtains to block out the sun and fully commit to the Bills/Broncos game.
- 8:00 p.m.: Order the pizza now. Do not wait until 8:00 p.m. or it will take two hours to arrive because everyone else had the same idea.
Remember, the College Football Playoff National Championship between Miami and Indiana doesn't happen until Monday night, so don't go looking for college ball tomorrow. Saturday is strictly for the pros.
Make sure your devices are charged and your remote has fresh batteries. It's going to be a long day.