The drought was the very worst … but football season is (un)officially back with the 2024 NFL preseason. Tonight, the season kicks off with a doubleheader: the Carolina Panthers visit the New England Patriots, and the Detroit Lions take on the New York Giants. The Panthers at Patriots game starts at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network (and logically on WBZ-TV CBS). Are you ready to watch? Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s NFL preseason game: Panthers vs. Patriots. Plus the dates and times for all 32 NFL teams’ preseason games, and how to watch the whole NFL preseason.

How to watch the Panthers vs. Patriots game:

Date: Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024

Time: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Game: Panthers at Patriots

Out-of-market TV channel: NFL Network

Local channel: WBZ-TV CBS

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV and more

When does the NFL preseason start?

The 2024 NFL preseason will kick off with a doubleheader tonight. The Panthers and Patriots and the Lions and the Giants play tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

What channel is the Panthers vs. Patriots game on?

The Panthers and Patriots face off for the opening preseason game this Thursday, Aug. 8, airing live on NFL Network. Don’t have easy access to the NFL Network? Here’s what we recommend:

How to watch the Panthers vs. Patriots game:

(Fubo)

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans. But it offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch the NFL preseason and regular season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage. The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some preseason games risk-free. 

Try free at Fubo

(Photo: NFL)

A basic $6.99 per month (or $40 annually) NFL+ subscription will get you live out-of-market preseason games across supported devices, live local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, and live audio for every game of the season across supported devices. NFL+ Premium, while a little pricier at $14.99 per month (or $80 annually) also includes access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone, plus full and condensed replays of every game across supported devices. NFL+ also offers a 7-day free trial.

$7 at NFL

2024 NFL preseason full schedule:

All times Eastern

Week 1

Thursday, Aug. 8

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots, 7 p.m.

Detroit Lions at New York Giants, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 9

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 10

Washington Commanders at New York Jets, noon

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Las Vegas Raiders at Minnesota Vikings, 4 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:05 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 11

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams, 4:30 p.m.

Week 2

Thursday, Aug. 15

Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 17

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens, noon

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

New York Giants at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs 4 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m.

New York Jets at Carolina Panthers, 7 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts, 7 p.m.

Washington Commanders at Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m.

Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas Cowboys at Las Vegas Raiders, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 18

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, 8 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers, 8 p.m.

Week 3

Thursday, Aug. 22

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals, 8 p.m.

Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23

Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m.

Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 24

Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.

Los Angeles Rams at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.

Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys, 4 p.m.

New York Giants at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 25

Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints, 2 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos (CBS), 4:30 p.m.

New England Patriots at Washington Commanders (NBC), 8 p.m.

How to watch all the NFL preseason games:

Many NFL preseason games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7/month subscription to NFL+ will get you access to NFL Network, which will have every out-of-market game in the preseason. The downside of NFL+? When it comes to the regular season, it’s a much less helpful option because there are far fewer NFL Network games during the regular season. In which case, here’s what we recommend to watch both the 2024 NFL preseason AND regular season.

(Fubo)

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans. But it offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch the NFL preseason and regular season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage. The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some preseason games risk-free. 

Try free at Fubo

The next NFL season, made up of 272 regular-season games, kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 with a match between 2024 Super Bowl Champions the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

More ways to watch NFL games this season: