The Buffalo Bills travel to Denver to face the Broncos on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High. The afternoon kickoff is one of three festive fixtures on the NFL calendar and marks the first time these teams have met since the 2026 AFC Divisional Round.
When and where
The game takes place on Friday 25 December 2026 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, with a scheduled kickoff of 4:30pm ET (9:30pm GMT). It is the middle game of the league’s traditional Christmas Day slate, sitting between the early and primetime fixtures. Denver’s stadium sits more than 5,200 feet above sea level, the highest in the NFL, an altitude that has long tested visiting teams late in the season.
The matchup
This is a heavyweight AFC encounter between two of the conference’s leading sides. The Bills arrive as one of the most consistent contenders of recent seasons, built around an explosive offence and a quarterback capable of winning games on his own. The Broncos, under head coach Sean Payton, have developed into a disciplined, defence-led team that thrives at home.
There is genuine recent history here. The two teams last met in the AFC Divisional Round on 17 January 2026, when Denver edged Buffalo 33-30 in overtime. The Broncos forced five turnovers and kicked a game-winning field goal in extra time, ending the Bills’ season at the hands of a team they had beaten comfortably in the previous campaign. A regular-season rematch on Christmas Day gives Buffalo an immediate chance to respond, and gives Denver the opportunity to prove that result was no fluke.
Players to watch
Buffalo’s offence runs through quarterback Josh Allen, whose arm strength and willingness to run make him a constant dual threat. Containing him both in the pocket and on the ground is the central challenge for any defence facing the Bills, and Denver’s pass rush and secondary will need to be at their sharpest. For the Broncos, quarterback Bo Nix has emerged as a steady, productive starter who threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns in that January playoff meeting. Beyond the quarterbacks, the contest is likely to be decided in the trenches and at the line of scrimmage, where Denver’s front seven and Buffalo’s offensive line will set the tone. Turnovers, as that divisional round showed, could prove decisive once again.
Why this game matters
Christmas Day football has become one of the NFL’s signature traditions, and in 2026 the league has built its holiday programme around three marquee fixtures. Bills at Broncos is the centrepiece of that slate, pairing two playoff-calibre teams in a rematch loaded with subplots. For Buffalo, it is the franchise’s first ever Christmas Day appearance, a sign of the team’s rise to national prominence. For Denver, it is a chance to defend home turf in front of a holiday audience and reinforce its standing as a serious AFC force. With seeding and tie-breakers often decided in these final December weeks, the result carries real postseason weight as well as festive prestige.
How to watch
In the United States, the game streams live on Netflix as part of the platform’s Christmas Day coverage, with kickoff at 4:30pm ET. In the United Kingdom, NFL fans can follow the action through Sky Sports and via NFL Game Pass on DAZN. With the festive timing, expect strong viewing interest on both sides of the Atlantic for what is one of the standout fixtures of the holiday schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Bills play the Broncos in 2026? The Bills face the Broncos on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, with a 4:30pm ET kickoff.
Is this the Bills’ first Christmas Day game? Yes. This is the first time the Buffalo Bills have featured in an NFL Christmas Day fixture.
Where can I watch Bills at Broncos? In the US the game streams on Netflix; in the UK it is available through Sky Sports and NFL Game Pass on DAZN.
See the full season on our NFL 2026 schedule.