Lions vs. Bills: TV Channel, Start Time and How to Watch Thursday Night Football

The Detroit Lions visit the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, September 17 at 8:15 p.m. ET, the Week 2 Thursday Night Football game from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. It is a Prime Video exclusive, so there is no traditional national TV window outside the two local markets.

Start Time, TV Channel and How to Watch

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17 · 8:15 P.M. ET · PRIME VIDEO
Lions at Bills
Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Date Thursday, September 17, 2026
Kickoff 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT
TV Prime Video nationally. Thursday Night Football games are also simulcast on broadcast TV in the two teams’ home markets, which means Detroit and Buffalo
Streaming Prime Video, included with an Amazon Prime membership. Also available on NFL+ for mobile viewing
Week NFL Week 2
Stadium Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Live Scoreboard

What to Watch

Short weeks flatten preparation for both teams, which is why Thursday games so often look sloppier than the same matchup would on a Sunday. Neither side gets the usual week of install, and the team that handles its first third down situation cleanly usually sets the tone.

Highmark Stadium in September is not the wind tunnel it becomes in December, so this should be a fair environment for both offenses. The crowd is the variable that does not change with the calendar.

How to Watch Without Cable

Prime Video is the only national home for this game, and it comes with an Amazon Prime membership rather than a separate sports package. If you are in the Detroit or Buffalo market, the game is also on local broadcast television, which is the free option. NFL+ carries Thursday Night Football on phones and tablets.

Related

NFL standings · NFL scores · NFL games today · NFL MVP odds · NFL playoff odds

The Bottom Line

Lions at Bills kicks off Thursday, September 17 at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video from Highmark Stadium, with a local broadcast simulcast in Detroit and Buffalo. It is the Week 2 Thursday Night Football game and the only NFL game on the schedule that night.