Meet Netflix's star-studded NFL crew for 2026, from Luke Kuechly to Michael Irvin

Meet Netflix’s star-studded NFL crew for 2026, from Luke Kuechly to Michael Irvin originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The NFL’s 2026 schedule features an expanded slate on Netflix, which will broadcast several games throughout the season as part of its expanded sports portfolio.

With more than just a few games on the NFL schedule, Netflix needed to put together a consistent team that it would use for more than just one day of the year. Therefore, the streaming service went out and hired many familiar faces to help broadcast games, beginning in Week 1 and going all the way through the final week of the regular season.

In between, Netflix will feature games around the holidays as the streaming service wants to be part of big, standalone sporting events. It is the second streaming service to get a consistent package of NFL games for the season, following in Amazon’s footsteps.

Here’s a look at who will be helping broadcast Netflix games this year.

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Netflix NFL broadcast team

RoleTalentBroadcast boothNoah Eagle, Luke KuechlyStudioElle Duncan, Michael Irvin, Nick Foles, Clay MatthewsSideline reportersTom Pelissero, MJ Acosta-RuizRules analystTerry McAulay

Noah Eagle

Eagle’s rise in sports media continues as he is the No. 1 announcer for Netflix’s NFL coverage this year, adding to his work for NBC college football. Eagle began working for Netflix in 2024, when the streaming service broadcast its first football games, and has stuck around as Netflix has added more games to the schedule.

Luke Kuechly

Kuechly, one of the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will be making his broadcasting debut with Netflix in 2026. The former Carolina Panthers linebacker was one of the best and smartest defensive players in his NFL career and should provide a different perspective from the booth than the quarterbacks who usually take that spot.

Elle Duncan

Netflix hired Duncan at the end of 2025 to anchor its increasing sports portfolio, making this her first season as the primary studio host for the streaming service. Duncan has many years of experience stemming from her time at ESPN and began her Netflix career covering other sports, including baseball and MMA.

Michael Irvin

Irvin is the headliner on Netflix’s desk coverage, as the Hall of Famer is an energetic personality with many years of media experience on NFL Network. Irvin started working for Netflix last year and will only see an increase in exposure with Netflix’s added schedule in 2026.

Nick Foles

Foles’ most notable moment as an NFL quarterback came in Super Bowl 52, when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first title and won MVP in the game. Now, the journeyman has transitioned to media and is joining Netflix for his first television broadcast role in the league.

Clay Matthews

Matthews is a former Green Bay Packers star, having produced 83.5 sacks across a decade for one of the NFL’s premier franchises. He last played in an NFL game in 2019, when he finished his career with the Los Angeles Rams, but officially retired from the NFL in September of 2022.

Tom Pelissero

After years as an insider for NFL Network, Pelissero was laid off as a casualty of ESPN’s new deal with NFL media. However, he landed on his feet with both Netflix and The Ringer, and will join the streaming service specifically for insider reporting and sideline reporting during games.

MJ Acosta-Ruiz

Acosta-Ruiz is a former NFL cheerleader who transitioned to media, having worked for NFL Network, ESPN and Telemundo throughout her career. She will also be a sideline reporter during games over the course of Netflix’s schedule in 2026.

Terry McAulay

McAulay spent two decades as a referee in the NFL and is now a rules analyst for football games on television. He primarily works for NBC’s NFL and college football broadcasts, but will also lend a hand to Netflix for its football games as well.

2026 NFL POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Defense

Netflix 2026 NFL schedule

DateMatchuoTime (ET)9/10Rams vs. 49ers8:35 p.m.11/25Rams vs. Packers8:00 p.m.12/25Bears vs. Packers1:00 p.m.12/25Broncos vs. Bills4:30 p.m.1/9TBD vs. TBD1:00 p.m.

Netflix is set to air five games during the regular season, including two on Christmas Day and one in the final week of the regular season. It will also air the first-ever NFL game on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and has a game during Week 1 for the second straight season.