The 2026 preseason saves its last national broadcast for Friday night in Philadelphia. Bengals at Eagles is the CBS window – the fifth and final time this summer a preseason game airs coast to coast, and the easiest of the five to actually watch, because CBS reaches nearly every home in the country by antenna, cable or Paramount+.
Both rosters arrive with a deadline breathing on them. Cutdown to 53 players comes Sunday evening, so Friday’s snaps are the closing argument for the back half of two rosters – Cincinnati sorting its depth on both lines, Philadelphia closing out an August that included a narrow 24-21 loss to New England. Star quarterbacks in late August are a maybe at best, and neither side had promised anything as of publication.
Everything you need to plan the night is in the chart below, from kickoff in every time zone to the three legitimate ways to get the CBS feed.
What Time Does Bengals vs. Eagles Start?
Kickoff is 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Aug. 28 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia – 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain and 5 p.m. for Pacific and Arizona viewers.
What Channel Is the Game On?
CBS, nationally. That’s the simplest broadcast situation in the preseason: one network, every market, no blackout rules. Find your local CBS affiliate’s channel number and you’re set.
How to Watch With an Antenna
Because CBS is an over-the-air network, a basic antenna picks up your local CBS station free – no cable, no streaming subscription. If you’re within your affiliate’s signal range, this is the zero-cost option.
How to Stream the Game
Paramount+ carries the live CBS broadcast on plans that include your local CBS feed, across smart TVs, streaming sticks, phones and tablets. Live-TV streaming services that include CBS – YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream – also work. Since it’s a national CBS game, out-of-market services like NFL+ aren’t needed here.
Will the Starters Play?
League-wide, preseason finales belong to backups, and teams with September ambitions rarely risk their headline players three days before cuts. Neither coaching staff had announced firm participation plans as of publication, and preseason usage is always subject to change – if the star quarterbacks appear at all, expect a series or two, not a half.
Roster Battles to Watch
Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline turns this into an audition broadcast. Cincinnati’s offensive line combinations and defensive depth get one more graded rep, while Philadelphia’s receiver room and secondary rotation – annually two of the league’s most competitive position groups at cutdown – play for Sunday’s 53. The fourth quarter, as always in Week 3, is where the real drama lives.
Quick Answers
Is the game blacked out anywhere?
No. National broadcasts don’t carry the local-market restrictions that cover most preseason games – CBS has it everywhere.
Do I need Paramount+ if I have cable or an antenna?
No – it’s the same broadcast. Paramount+ is simply the streaming path to the CBS feed for households without a TV signal.
What else is on Friday night?
Nine other games share the busiest night of the preseason – the full slate, with every kickoff and channel, is in our NFL Preseason Week 3 schedule and TV guide.
The Bottom Line
Bengals vs. Eagles kicks off Friday, Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS from Lincoln Financial Field, with Paramount+ streaming the broadcast – the final national TV game of the 2026 preseason, free over the air with an antenna, and the last big stage before rosters cut to 53 on Sunday.