How, where to watch the Bengals vs. Lions preseason Week 1 game

A battle of big cats comes your way on Thursday night, kicking off their hopeful roads to SoFi Stadium. Both the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to be in the hunt for Super Bowl 61. The Bengals are coming off a disappointing season, largely thanks to the midseason absence of Joe Burr

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What is the story about?

A battle of big cats comes your way on Thursday night, kicking off their hopeful roads to SoFi Stadium.

Both the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to be in the hunt for Super Bowl 61. The Bengals are coming off a disappointing season, largely thanks to the midseason absence of Joe Burrow. Still, the Bengals return all of their firepower and now have a defensive anchor in Dexter Lawrence, the prized offseason acquisition of Cincinnati.

The Lions are coming off a disappointing season of their own, their first without superstar coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Head coach Dan Campbell did his best to try and keep Detroit's season on the path to the playoffs, but injuries largely told the story of a 9-8 finish.

Now, both teams

start on the playoff paths anew with their first preseason matchup of the 2026 NFL schedule. Here's how to watch the battle of playoff hopefuls:

Watch NFL action all season long with Fubo (free trial)

What time is Bengals vs Lions?

Kickoff for the Bengals vs. Lions is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on Thursday night.

How to watch Bengals vs Lions on Thursday

All times Eastern

Date: Aug. 13
Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Paycor Stadium
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Bengals vs Lions TV channel

TV channel (national): Local only
TV channel (local):
- Cincinnati: Fox 19 (Bengals TV network)
- Detroit: Fox 2
Streaming: NFL+ | Fubo (in market)

The Bengals-Lions matchup will air only in local markets. Those looking to watch outside of those markets can see the game on NFL+, which carries all out of market preseason games.

Fans in-market looking for a streaming option can find the game on Fubo, which comes with a free trial.

Watch NFL action all season long with Fubo (free trial)