Every February, more than 100 million Americans ask the same question: what channel is the Super Bowl on this year? The answer changes annually because the NFL rotates broadcast rights among its major television partners. Understanding how that rotation works — and where to stream the game if you do not have cable — is exactly what this guide covers.
Which Networks Broadcast the Super Bowl
The NFL holds some of the most valuable media rights agreements in sports. Four major broadcast partners share the rights to air the Super Bowl on a rotating basis:
- CBS
- NBC
- Fox
- ABC / ESPN (added to the rotation beginning with Super Bowl LX in 2027)
Each network typically airs the game once every three to four years. The schedule in recent years has looked like this:
- Super Bowl LVII (2023) — Fox
- Super Bowl LVIII (2024) — CBS
- Super Bowl LIX (2025) — NBC
- Super Bowl LX (2026) — Fox
This rotation is not arbitrary. It is built into billion-dollar media rights deals the NFL negotiated through the 2030s. CBS, NBC, Fox, and ESPN/ABC collectively pay the league roughly $10 billion per year across all NFL programming, with Super Bowl broadcast rights bundled into those agreements.
How to Watch the Super Bowl Without Cable
Cord-cutters are not locked out. Every network that airs the Super Bowl is also required to stream it simultaneously through its digital platform at no extra cost to subscribers. Here is how that breaks down by network:
- CBS Super Bowl — streams live on Paramount+
- NBC Super Bowl — streams live on Peacock
- Fox Super Bowl — streams live on the Fox Sports app and Tubi (free, no subscription required)
- ABC/ESPN Super Bowl — will stream on ESPN+
Beyond network-owned platforms, the game is also available through virtual cable services including YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, all of which carry the major broadcast networks.
For viewers without any subscription at all, an over-the-air antenna connected to a television will pick up the broadcast on whichever local CBS, NBC, or Fox affiliate is carrying the game — completely free.
What Goes Into a Super Bowl Broadcast
Broadcasting the Super Bowl is a production operation that begins months before kickoff. Networks dedicate enormous resources to making the telecast stand out, and several components have become signature parts of the experience.
Pre-Game Coverage
Networks typically begin live coverage four to six hours before kickoff. Pre-game programming includes player and coach interviews, historical retrospectives, position-by-position analysis, and injury updates. This extended window also allows advertisers to begin building brand recognition before the most expensive commercial slots of the night air during the game itself.
Live Game Production
During the game, the host network deploys dozens of cameras, including aerial drones, goal-line cameras, and ultra-slow-motion replay systems. On-screen graphics display real-time statistics, down-and-distance markers, and player tracking data. The broadcast booth typically features a play-by-play announcer, a color analyst with NFL playing or coaching experience, and multiple sideline reporters.
The Halftime Show
The halftime show has become a standalone cultural event. Viewership during the halftime performance often exceeds viewership of the game itself. Recent headliners have included Rihanna (Super Bowl LVII), Usher (Super Bowl LVIII), and Kendrick Lamar (Super Bowl LIX). The host network produces the performance in close collaboration with the NFL and the performing artist’s team, making it one of the most-watched live entertainment segments of any given year.
Super Bowl Advertising: Why Brands Pay Millions for 30 Seconds
Advertising during the Super Bowl is a category of its own. A 30-second commercial spot during the 2024 game cost approximately $7 million. For the 2025 broadcast on NBC, that figure climbed closer to $8 million per 30-second unit.
Brands pay these rates because no other programming delivers a comparable live audience. Unlike streaming content that viewers watch on-demand, the Super Bowl is consumed almost entirely in real time, which means viewers are present for the commercials rather than skipping them.
Super Bowl ads have developed their own cultural moment. Many brands release teaser clips in the days before the game, generate press coverage for the spots themselves, and earn additional reach through social media discussion during and after the broadcast. For the network airing the game, this advertising demand translates directly into record-breaking revenue for a single broadcast window.
How the NFL Decides Which Network Gets the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl broadcast assignment follows the broader structure of the NFL’s media rights deals. When the league signed its current round of agreements in 2021, it locked in the rotation through 2033. Each partner network is guaranteed a fixed number of Super Bowls within that window.
CBS holds rights through its NFL on CBS package, which primarily covers AFC games. NBC airs Sunday Night Football, the highest-rated primetime sports program for more than a decade. Fox holds NFC game rights. ESPN/ABC, which entered the Super Bowl rotation for the first time in 2027, carries Monday Night Football and an expanded package of playoff games.
The host city and stadium are determined separately by the NFL through a competitive bid process, but the broadcast assignment is locked in years in advance regardless of which teams reach the game.
Where Is the Super Bowl Broadcast Internationally
The Super Bowl airs in more than 180 countries. International broadcasters adapt the coverage with local commentary and, in many markets, reduce or replace American commercials with locally relevant advertising.
Key international broadcast partners include:
- United Kingdom — Sky Sports and ITV
- Canada — TSN and CTV (Canadian law requires simulcast on local channels, meaning American ads are replaced)
- Mexico — ESPN Latin America and Canal 5
- Germany — ProSieben
- Australia — ESPN Australia
The NFL has used Super Bowl international viewership as a core metric in its global growth strategy, which also includes regular-season games played in London, Frankfurt, and Mexico City.
Streaming and the Future of Super Bowl Broadcasting
The definition of the “Super Bowl channel” is shifting. For decades it meant a single over-the-air network. Today it means a broadcast network, a streaming platform, a connected TV app, and in some years an additional free streaming option running simultaneously.
The NFL has been deliberate about keeping the Super Bowl available on free, over-the-air television, a condition tied to the nature of the FCC-licensed broadcast spectrum held by CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC. However, streaming is growing as a primary screen. NBC’s decision to simulcast Super Bowl LIX on Peacock was a signal of where the league and its partners expect viewership to migrate.
Future broadcasts are likely to incorporate features that traditional television cannot offer, including alternate camera angle feeds, integrated real-time statistics overlays, and interactive options for connected TV viewers. Some of these features were tested in playoff and regular-season games in 2024 and 2025, with results informing what networks will offer during the Super Bowl.
Quick-Reference: What Channel Is the Super Bowl On By Year
| Super Bowl | Year | Network | Free Streaming Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVII | 2023 | Fox | Tubi / Fox Sports App |
| LVIII | 2024 | CBS | Paramount+ |
| LIX | 2025 | NBC | Peacock |
| LX | 2026 | Fox | Tubi / Fox Sports App |
Frequently Asked Questions About the Super Bowl Channel
What channel is the Super Bowl on this year?
Super Bowl LX airs on Fox in 2026. It streams simultaneously on the Fox Sports app and on Tubi, which is free with no subscription required.
Can I watch the Super Bowl for free without cable?
Yes. The game is available free over the air on your local Fox, CBS, or NBC affiliate depending on the year. Fox also streams its Super Bowl broadcasts free on Tubi. An over-the-air antenna is all you need for local broadcast access.
Why does the Super Bowl change channels every year?
The NFL rotates Super Bowl broadcast rights among its television partners — CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC/ESPN — as part of long-term rights agreements. Each network is contractually assigned a set number of Super Bowls within the deal period.
Is the Super Bowl on ESPN?
ESPN and ABC join the Super Bowl rotation beginning with Super Bowl LXI in 2027. Prior to that, ESPN airs NFL playoff games but not the Super Bowl itself.
What streaming service carries the Super Bowl?
It depends on the year. CBS Super Bowls stream on Paramount+, NBC Super Bowls stream on Peacock, and Fox Super Bowls stream on the Fox Sports app and Tubi. All options are included with existing subscriptions or, in the case of Tubi, are completely free.