Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears: Where to Watch

Updated 9 September 2026

The date, venue and FOX assignment appear on the official Minnesota Vikings schedule. The NFL schedule also lists Vikings at Bears for September 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET on local FOX coverage.

The game begins at noon for supporters in both Minnesota and Chicago.

Daylight-saving differences affect international conversions. Fans outside the United States should check the time their own broadcaster displays on game day.

Not necessarily.

Sunday afternoon games are split between regional markets. FOX may show this game in Minnesota, Chicago and the surrounding areas while assigning a different game elsewhere. The final FOX coverage map is normally released during game week and can change.

Rather than guessing which states receive the game, this page will display the confirmed coverage map once it is available.

Viewers do not need a cable subscription, but they do need the correct FOX feed. Each of the services below is only useful if it carries the FOX affiliate for your address.

YouTube TV

Carries local FOX in many markets and also offers NFL Sunday Ticket for eligible out-of-market games. Check the channel lineup by ZIP code before subscribing.

Hulu + Live TV

Includes FOX in many areas, though availability varies. A standard on-demand Hulu subscription does not include the live FOX broadcast.

Fubo

Carries FOX in many United States markets and supports the common streaming devices. Confirm local availability first.

DirecTV Stream

May provide a local FOX station depending on your location and the package you choose.

YouTube Primetime Channels

NFL Sunday Ticket can be bought here without a base YouTube TV subscription.

Fans inside the FOX region can watch the game free with an over-the-air antenna. Reception depends on distance from the transmitter, buildings, terrain and the position of the antenna itself.

A free FOX website stream should not be assumed. Some paid services occasionally offer trials, but those change frequently and are not guaranteed for any given weekend.

Only when the game is unavailable on your local FOX station. You do not need it in any of these cases:

• Your local FOX station carries the game.
• You are watching the local game through an eligible live-TV service.
• You are using NFL+ on a supported mobile device inside the local market.
• You are watching through an authorised international service.

NFL Sunday Ticket focuses on out-of-market Sunday afternoon FOX and CBS broadcasts.

Radio remains the most dependable option for travelling supporters, drivers and fans outside the television area.

Minnesota Vikings broadcast

KFAN 100.3 FM and the Vikings Audio Network carry the game, with Paul Allen on play-by-play and Pete Bercich on analysis. Local affiliates across the region also carry the feed, and NFL+ or SiriusXM may offer it depending on your subscription and location.

Chicago Bears broadcast

ESPN Chicago carries the English-language call, with Jeff Joniak on play-by-play and Tom Thayer as analyst. WVIV carries the Spanish-language broadcast in 2026. Details are published by the Chicago Bears.

Radio streams can be location restricted. Open the app and sign in before you leave home rather than at the gate.

Chicago and Minnesota share the NFC North, so they meet twice every regular season.

Week 18 kickoff times are confirmed later than the rest of the season, because the NFL arranges that weekend's games around playoff implications. See the full Vikings schedule for the rest of the season.

This has been a division rivalry since the Vikings entered the NFL in 1961. The teams have met 130 times counting the regular season and the postseason together, with Minnesota leading 69-59-2.

Chicago won their only postseason meeting, the 1994 NFC Wild Card round, 35-18 in Minnesota.

What shapes the rivalry is repetition: two games a season, division tiebreakers that turn on them, and a second meeting that exists to answer the first. The NFC North standings usually explain why each one matters.

Chicago and Minnesota took one win each in 2025, and both games were decided in the final quarter.

Vikings 27, Bears 24

The opener at Soldier Field. Chicago led 17-6 going into the fourth quarter before J.J. McCarthy accounted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns on his regular-season debut, finishing 13 of 20 for 143 yards. Caleb Williams passed for 210 yards and scored both through the air and on the ground. Read the Associated Press recap, or the full player statistics.

Bears 19, Vikings 17

At U.S. Bank Stadium on November 16. Minnesota led 17-16 inside the final minute when McCarthy found Jordan Addison for 15 yards. Devin Duvernay then returned the kickoff 56 yards, and Cairo Santos won it with a 48-yard field goal on the final play. Santos made four field goals in the game, including a 54-yarder that set a Bears franchise record for career field goals from at least 50 yards. Watch the official Bears highlights, or the full player statistics.

1. Your local FOX listing

   Do not rely on a national guide. Confirm the listing on the FOX station that actually serves your address.

2. The final broadcast map

   If your region has been given another FOX game, prepare NFL Sunday Ticket before kickoff rather than during it.

3. Your streaming device

   Sign in, install any pending update and play something briefly to test the app.

4. Weather at Soldier Field

   Wind off the lake affects passing, punts and field goals in an outdoor stadium.

5. Late schedule changes

   The NFL schedule is the final source if anything moves.

1. Confirm that FOX is showing Vikings at Bears in your market.
2. Check whether your package includes the local FOX affiliate.
3. Enable location permission for the app.
4. Turn off any connection setting that reports an incorrect location.
5. Restart the app.
6. Confirm that the subscription is active.
7. Use NFL Sunday Ticket if you are genuinely out of market.
8. Switch to an authorised radio broadcast if video remains unavailable.

A blackout message usually means the service cannot confirm where you are, or does not hold the regional feed for your area. It is rarely an NFL prohibition on the game itself.