Tom Brady's homecoming highlights things TV execs love about 2026 NFL schedule

Spoiler alert – all of the NFL’s broadcast partners love their 2026 slate of games that comprise the 18-week, 272-game marathon that is the regular season. The specific reasons, though, vary from company to company. USA TODAY Sports caught up with executives from four media entities – ESPN, NBC, Amazon Prime Video and FOX – for a breakdown of how each network (or streamer) wound up with its package of games for the 2026 season.

FOX is back to loving the NFC (feat. a Tom Brady homecoming) At FOX's advertising Upfront presentation on May 11, the network declared itself the home of the NFC. FOX had earned that distinction over decades of holding NFL rights.

That changed in 2025 when the network wanted a more equitable share of AFC contests. FOX, with more broadcast windows than any media partner for the second straight season, is back to having the NFC as its main squeeze in 2026. “This year we went into it saying ‘We actually want to keep as much of the NFC power as we can,’” FOX Sports president, insight and analytics, Michael Mulvihill told USA TODAY Sports.

That's not to say FOX has rid itself entirely of high-quality AFC games. The Week 14 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs will air on the network. But FOX wants to be the home of big NFC brands and markets, “a bit of a back-to-basics approach,” Mulvihill said.