New England Patriots vs Houston Texans: Where to watch the match online, live stream, TV channels, and kick-off time

The 2025-2026 National Football League postseason reaches its highly anticipated Divisional Round on January 18, 2026, featuring a high-stakes confrontation between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 

This matchup represents more than a standard playoff elimination game; it is a collision between two of the most statistically improbable turnarounds in the history of the league, featuring the league’s most efficient home offense against a defense that has recently mirrored the historic dominance of the 1940s. 

As the second seed in the AFC, the Patriots enter the contest as narrow favorites, while the fifth-seeded Texans arrive riding the momentum of a ten-game winning streak and a historic wild card performance.

Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.

How to watch New England Patriots vs Houston Texans online - TV channels & live streams

	ESPN	Watch here
	ESPN Deportes	Watch here
	ABC	Watch here

The primary television broadcast is a dual-network presentation by ESPN and ABC, marking a significant collaborative effort for the postseason. This national coverage ensures that the game is available to both cable subscribers and over-the-air viewers via local ABC affiliates. In the Boston metropolitan area, the game will be carried by WCVB-TV Channel 5, while Houston-area viewers can access the game through their local ABC station. The primary television broadcast is a dual-network presentation by ESPN and ABC, marking a significant collaborative effort for the postseason. This national coverage ensures that the game is available to both cable subscribers and over-the-air viewers via local ABC affiliates. In the Boston metropolitan area, the game will be carried by WCVB-TV Channel 5, while Houston-area viewers can access the game through their local ABC station. The game can also be viewed on SlingTV, Fubo, and DirectTV.

How to watch anywhere with VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans kick-off time

Venue and timing of the match.

Team news & squads

New England Patriots team news

The New England Patriots enter the divisional round as the epitome of a revitalized franchise. After consecutive seasons of struggling to find an identity post-2021, the 2025 campaign under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has been nothing short of transformative. 

Finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record, the Patriots secured the AFC East title and tied the NFL record for the largest single-season turnaround, an achievement previously shared only by the 1999 Indianapolis Colts and the 2008 Miami Dolphins. This ten-game improvement from a 4-13 record in 2024 underscores the rapid efficacy of the new leadership and the maturation of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

The narrative of the 2025 Patriots is fundamentally tied to the synergy between Vrabel and Maye. Vrabel, a former standout linebacker for the organization, has instilled a culture of discipline and fundamental soundness that mirrors the franchise's most successful eras while modernizing the defensive approach. 

Under his guidance, the Patriots’ defense finished the season ranked fourth in the league, allowing just 18.8 points per game. This unit is characterized by its ability to generate a 48% pressure rate, a figure that leads all playoff-bound teams and creates significant disruptions for opposing offensive coordinators. 

The defense proved its mettle in the Wild Card round, stifling the Los Angeles Chargers in a 16-3 victory that prioritized field position and red-zone stops over statistical accumulation.

Houston Texans team news

The Houston Texans’ journey to the 2026 AFC Divisional Round is a testament to strategic patience and psychological resilience. The team's season began in a state of crisis, suffering three consecutive losses to open the 2025 campaign. Standing at 3-5 after a Week 9 defeat to the Denver Broncos, the Texans faced an uphill battle that most analysts deemed insurmountable. 

However, a pivotal Week 10 comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars, sparked by backup quarterback Davis Mills in relief, initiated an unprecedented nine-game winning streak that ultimately secured a 12-5 record and the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.

This resilience is a direct reflection of head coach DeMeco Ryans’ "Swarm" philosophy. Ryans has built a defensive unit that finished the regular season ranked first in total yards allowed and second in scoring defense, surrendering only 17.4 points per game. 

The defense’s ability to generate turnovers was paramount, finishing the season with a +17 turnover margin, the second-highest mark in the league. In their Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this unit reached a historic peak, recording multiple defensive touchdowns while holding the Steelers out of the end zone entirely in a 30-6 rout. It was the franchise's first road playoff victory, breaking a long-standing psychological barrier and establishing the Texans as a genuine threat to the AFC's elite.

Form

Head-to-Head Record

Useful links

• Patriots Schedule 
• Texans Schedule