How to watch Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills 2026 Week 2 'Thursday Night Football'

“Thursday Night Football” gets a potentially explosive matchup to open its 2026 slate on Thursday, Sept. 17, as the Detroit Lions visit the Buffalo Bills in the inaugural game at the new Highmark Stadium. Both teams are 1-0 after surviving close Week 1 games, with Buffalo beating Houston, 36-31, and Detroit escaping New Orleans, 31-30, in overtime. Josh Allen and Jared Goff headline two offenses capable of turning this into a shootout, while the Bills will also be playing the first regular-season game in their new home. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET and will air on Prime Video. Fans in Detroit and Buffalo will be able to watch on their respective local Fox affiliates with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.

Prime Video is once again the exclusive host of “Thursday Night Football” in 2026. If you don’t live in the home market of either of the teams playing, the only way to watch Bills vs. Lions on Thursday evening is with a Prime Video subscription. You can watch NFL football and other sports available in your area on Prime Video at no extra cost, and the lineup will also include NBA regular season games for the second season in a row.

You also get to try Prime Video free if you’re a new Prime customer, and you can watch for as little as $9 per month if you don’t mind ads during playback.

If you have never signed up for Amazon Prime before, yes. Prime comes with a 30-day free trial for all new customers, and Prime Video is one of the key benefits of a Prime subscription. If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to watch a great game free with Prime Video before signing up, this Bills vs. Lions matchup is the perfect opportunity.

In the greater Motor City market, you will be able to watch the game on Fox 2 Detroit. And in the Upstate New York area, the game will be broadcast on WKBW. We recommend watching the game locally with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the game as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to Prime Video in order to stream the game with a VPN.

ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.

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While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

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