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Where to Watch NFL in Amsterdam: Bars, TV and Kickoff Times

November 4, 2026
Where to Watch NFL in Amsterdam: Bars, TV and Kickoff Times

The easiest way to watch NFL in Amsterdam is to split the job in two. Pick the broadcast that carries your game (a streaming pass for every game, or a TV channel for a selection), then pick the room you want to watch it in. Most Sunday games land in the Dutch evening, which suits a bar with good screens, food and a late kitchen. Below you will find the kickoff math, the viewing options, and a checklist for planning a game night.

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TL;DR

  • NFL Game Pass on DAZN carries every game live, plus RedZone, the playoffs and the Super Bowl. ESPN shows a selection of games.
  • Standard US Sunday kickoffs of 1:00 p.m., 4:25 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. ET fall in the Dutch evening and night, so plan for a late one.
  • The gap between Amsterdam and the US East Coast is normally six hours, but it shrinks to five for about a week each spring and autumn.
  • For a bar night, check the screens, the sound, the kitchen hours and the smoking arrangements before you go, and message the venue about the specific game.

Table of Contents

What the time difference does to your Sunday

The NFL publishes its schedule in Eastern Time. The league's 2026 schedule announcement lists the standard Sunday windows as 1:00 p.m. ET, 4:25 p.m. ET and, for the Sunday night game, 8:20 p.m. ET.

Most of the year, Amsterdam is six hours ahead of the US East Coast. That gives you this rough pattern in Dutch time:

US kickoff (ET)Amsterdam timeWhat it feels like
1:00 p.m.7:00 p.m.Dinner and drinks, an easy start
4:25 p.m.10:25 p.m.Late-night game, the main event for most fans
8:20 p.m.2:20 a.m.Monday morning, for the committed

The table is our own arithmetic from the league's Eastern Time kickoffs. The exception comes in late October and March, when Europe and the US change their clocks on different Sundays. In 2026, a Netherlands-based fan watching a 1:00 p.m. ET game on 25 October saw it at 6:00 p.m., not 7:00 p.m., because Europe had already gone back to winter time while the US had not. After the US switched, the usual six-hour gap returned.

The league also plays games in Europe. According to the NFL's 2026 international schedule release, the European games kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET. That works out to an afternoon kickoff in Amsterdam, which is the easiest NFL viewing slot for anyone who does not want to stay up late.

How to watch NFL in the Netherlands

NFL Game Pass on DAZN

If you want every game, this is the route. According to a Dutch overview of where to watch NFL and NBA in 2026/27, NFL Game Pass on DAZN offers every game live, along with shortened replays, RedZone, the playoffs and the Super Bowl. It is the only option that lets you pick any matchup, including the early and late windows.

The same page notes that a selection of games is shown on ESPN 2 to 4 (as checked in late September 2026). For prices and plan types, use the DAZN page directly, since they change by country and season.

NFL Game Pass on DAZN

ESPN through your TV provider

ESPN carries a selection of games, not the full slate. If you have Ziggo, all ESPN channels are included in the standard TV package, without a separate subscription. The ESPN channels 2, 3 and 4 were added to all Ziggo digital TV packages as of 1 July, so check which ESPN channel the game is on in your guide on the day.

Commentary matters too. For the 2026 Super Bowl, Ziggo listed Dutch commentary on ESPN 1 and original US commentary on ESPN 4 for ESPN Compleet customers. Expect a similar split for big games, and check the listing before kickoff if you want the American broadcast.

Blackouts and rights

What you can watch depends on broadcast rights. The NFL's own support page says that availability varies by platform and location, and blackout restrictions may apply. If you are visiting from the US and expect your home app to work in Amsterdam, test it before game day, not at kickoff.

Home or bar: which one fits the game?

The stream decides what you can watch. The room decides how it feels. A few honest rules of thumb:

  • Early kickoff, small stakes: at 7:00 p.m. Amsterdam time, a normal Sunday game works well over dinner. You do not need to plan much.
  • Late window or playoff game: a 10:25 p.m. start is a social event. A room full of people, a loud screen and a kitchen that is still open make it better than your sofa.
  • Super Bowl: this is a night out. The game kicks off in the Dutch night, so book ahead and confirm hours. For more on that one, see our guide to where to watch the Super Bowl in Amsterdam.
  • A group with mixed interest: some people will care about the game and some will not. A venue with food, cocktails and a lounge area keeps everyone happy.

If you are new to the format, our explainer on what a sports bar is and how Amsterdam does it covers what to expect, and our look at why watching sports in bars beats the sofa explains the atmosphere argument.

What to check before you go

American football is a niche in Dutch bars compared to football (soccer), so a venue will not always have a game on by default. Run through these checks first.

1. Will they show it?

Message the venue a day or two before and name the game and kickoff time. A bar that shows plenty of sport usually has more than one screen and can put your game on, but it depends on what else is on that evening and what the venue's broadcast subscription covers. Do not assume.

2. Sound

Ask whether the audio can be turned on for your game. In a room with several matches on, the sound often follows one main screen. If commentary matters to you, say so when you ask.

3. Kitchen and drinks

A 10:25 p.m. kickoff is no good if the kitchen closes at 10:00. Ask about last orders, and whether food comes out during the late games. American football games run about three hours, so you will want something more than a bag of snacks.

4. Smoking and seating

In the Netherlands, smoking indoors is generally not allowed in hospitality venues, but some places run dedicated smoking arrangements or shisha lounges with their own rules. If anyone in your group smokes, ask about the setup and where it is. Sit-down tables near the main screen go quickly on big nights, so ask about reservations.

Shisha setup beside lounge seating

5. Licences and late hours

Amsterdam hospitality venues operate under municipal permits, and conditions such as opening hours are set by the municipality. In practice, that means a bar's closing time is not always flexible, even on a big night. If the game ends at 1:30 a.m., confirm the bar is open that late, not just that it is showing the game.

For a more general version of this list, our sports bar checklist for Amsterdam goes through screens, seating and atmosphere.

Planning a game night: a simple template

Here is how a typical Sunday late-window game might go, built around the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

  1. Afternoon: message the venue, confirm the game and sound, and ask about a table for your group size.
  2. Around 9:00 p.m.: arrive early. Order food while the earlier games finish, since kitchens are busiest right before kickoff.
  3. 10:25 p.m.: kickoff. Keep an eye on the clock, because games run long and the halftime show eats time.
  4. Around 1:30 a.m.: the final whistle for a normal game. Check the last transport home before the evening starts, and not after.

For a 1:00 p.m. ET game, shift everything back three and a half hours and treat it as a dinner. For the European afternoon games, a late lunch with drinks fits.

Perspective

We think a game is better with a room around it. Big Shots Amsterdam is a sports bar, shisha lounge, restaurant and café under one roof, and that mix is exactly what a long NFL night asks for: a proper meal before kickoff, cocktails during the game, and a lounge to move to when the group wants a change of pace.

Most fans who watch American football in Amsterdam are watching in the evening or at night, often with friends who only half care about the game. A venue that is only a bar leaves those friends bored. A venue that is only a restaurant has no atmosphere. We built Big Shots to cover both, across three central locations.

Our advice is simple: pick your broadcast, pick your people, and then tell us which game you are coming for. We would rather know in advance, so we can point you to the right table and the right screen.

Leo

Where Big Shots fits in

We run three central venues in Amsterdam. Our menu covers breakfast, tapas, soups, salads, steaks, burgers, pizza, pasta and shared plates, plus drinks, so you can eat properly before a late kickoff instead of grazing on bar snacks. If your group wants somewhere to move after the game, our lounge experiences give you a relaxed space to keep the evening going.

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Watching at home instead? You can order from us through our delivery page, and fans who want something to wear on game day can look at our merch. For the full picture of what we do, start at bigshotsamsterdam.com. When you plan a particular game, contact the venue first and ask about screens and sound for that day.

We have also written about other sports nights in the city, including watching NBA games at Big Shots or through League Pass, where to watch football in Amsterdam and where to watch Eredivisie. If you want a full view of big-screen rooms, see our guide to the best big screen spots for sports fans, and for a place that mixes food, drinks and sport, our piece on the English bar scene in Amsterdam is a good companion.

Tips for first-timers

If you have never watched American football in a bar, a few things help.

  • Arrive before kickoff. Good seats near the main screen go first, and an American football game has natural breaks where you can order without missing action.
  • Ask someone to explain the rules. Fans in a room are usually happy to explain a penalty flag. The game stops a lot, which gives you time to ask.
  • Pace yourself. A three-hour game at 10:25 p.m. is a long evening. Eat a real meal and drink water between rounds.
  • Know your broadcast. If the bar shows the game on a Dutch ESPN feed, you get Dutch commentary on some channels and the original US call on others. Say which you prefer.
  • Watch the clocks in spring and autumn. For one week in late October and one in March, kickoff shifts by an hour for Dutch viewers. Check the converted time, not the one you remember from last week.

FAQ

Can I watch every NFL game in the Netherlands?

Yes, with NFL Game Pass on DAZN, which carries every game live along with RedZone, the playoffs and the Super Bowl. ESPN shows only a selection. Rights and blackouts can vary by platform and location, so check the NFL's support page if a game does not appear.

What time do NFL games start in Amsterdam?

Usually 7:00 p.m. for the 1:00 p.m. ET game, 10:25 p.m. for the 4:25 p.m. ET game and 2:20 a.m. for the Sunday night game. The gap shrinks to five hours for a short stretch in late October and in March, when Europe and the US change clocks on different dates. Games played in Europe start at 9:30 a.m. ET, which is the afternoon in Amsterdam.

Do I get Dutch or American commentary?

It depends on the channel. For the 2026 Super Bowl, ESPN 1 carried Dutch commentary and ESPN 4 carried the original US commentary for ESPN Compleet customers. If you are in a bar, ask which feed is on before kickoff.

Do I need to book a table for an NFL night?

For a regular game, usually not, but for a late-window game with a group, a playoff game or the Super Bowl, yes. Contact the venue ahead of time, name the game and ask about screens, sound and kitchen hours.

Sources