Steelers vs. Saints in Paris: TV, halftime show, protest details for NFL's France debut New York Times (Online) Steven Louis Goldstein No matter what else happens to this season's Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, they will “ always have Paris. ” The Steelers and Saints come together for the NFL's inaugural game on French soil. Both sides still search for cohesive identities after six weeks of up-and-down football. Both become ambassadors for the sport, too, with civil unrest in the background. Here's what fans should know ahead of an early and historic Sunday kickoff. All times below are ET. NFL Network also streams with a subscription to ESPN Unlimited or NFL+. NFL Network streams within the ESPN app due to a recent multi-billion-dollar agreement . To watch, subscribers can sign up for ESPN Unlimited directly or use their credentialed TV logins. The game is available on NFL+, the league's direct-to-consumer service, as well. NFL Network is also included in most pay TV plans, though some require a sports or deluxe package. Like this year's first two London games, Sunday's Parisian special has Dave Pasch on play-by-play. He's joined by former NFL greats Kurt Warner and Jason Kelce in the booth, while Molly McGrath reports from the field. Afrobeats artist Burna Boy is the halftime act. He was part of the World Cup final halftime show in July and performed “ Dai Dai ” with Shakira. The two also hit the stage at the World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City. Burna Boy previously headlined a solo concert at Stade de France in 2025. The NFL's French debut comes under extraordinary circumstances, as Paris grapples with ongoing protests about school conditions and the cost of living. With more demonstrations expected, the league decided to close its pop-up shop Saturday. A Steelers fan event in Bastille was canceled as well. However, the league held a youth flag football clinic near the Eiffel Tower and a “Hail Mary” fan contest by the Seine, both on Saturday. The game itself is still scheduled as planned for Sunday, though some are doubting the decision to go forward. As noted by The Athletic 's Jayna Bardahl, Stade de France is about 8.5 kilometers (5 miles) from central Paris, where most of the protests have occurred. Curfews have been implemented across parts of Paris, Nice and Lille since Monday. “I definitely think that the NFL is alert to what's going on,” Aaron Rodgers said Friday. “This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I'm sure we wouldn't be here.” New Orleans is the designated home side for Sunday. The franchise has exclusive marketing rights in France under the NFL's Global Markets Program, which began in 2022. This connection feels logical, given the Saints' fleur-de-lis logo and New Orleans' French influence. Commissioner Roger Goodell told Agence France-Presse that the league intends to grow its presence in Paris and beyond. The Steelers flew to Paris on Thursday night, a decision that did not thrill every player. They landed Friday around 9:30 a.m. local time, but their “mock game” practice was canceled because of poor weather. Subsequently, the team did a walk-through session in a hotel ballroom. The Saints, meanwhile, have been in Paris since Monday. Pittsburgh is 1-1 in overseas action. It won last year's Dublin game versus the Minnesota Vikings, headlined by DK Metcalf's 80-yard touchdown . Before that, the Steelers lost to the Vikings at London's Wembley Stadium in 2013. New Orleans is 2-1 internationally. The Saints won at Wembley in 2008 and 2017, but lost a 2022 matchup with the Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both teams are indulging in the local culture in France. The Saints brought alumni Deuce McAllister and Donte Stallworth along for the trip. They also set up a brass band second line celebration. Saints mainstay Cameron Jordan visited Disneyland Paris, while a very new Saints fan learned about the “ c ouatorback .” The Steelers pulled up with fan favorites Santonio Holmes and Ryan Shazier . Steely McBeam made sure to see the Eiffel Tower , too. This is the sixth game of a bulked-up international schedule. The league could add a 10th overseas game, the most allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, as soon as next year . The full 2026 slate looks like this: Pittsburgh has put up consecutive wins since its frustrating Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Running back Jaylen Warren went off in a 34-22 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts, then the Steelers completed a rally against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Germie Bernard 's overtime TD. Through six weeks, Mike McCarthy's Steelers rank 17th in scoring offense and 12th in scoring defense. They've struggled in third-down situations, entering the week with the league's fifth-worst rate. But they're also tied for third with 10 takeaways. Rodgers has thrown a dozen touchdowns to five interceptions so far in his 22nd NFL season. He currently sits fifth in all-time passing yards and tied for third in TDs. He looks particularly locked in on Metcalf right now. According to TruMedia, Pittsburgh's WR1 had minus-0.39 EPA per target through the first three weeks, but that number has jumped to plus-0.26 EPA per target across Weeks 4-6. The defense is paced by a standout pass-rush duo. T.J. Watt leads the team with 4 1/2 sacks, while Alex Highsmith has three of his own. Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey comes off an AFC Defensive Player of the Week showing versus the Bucs. He became the first DB since 2000 with 10 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in a single game. Like its opponent, New Orleans arrives after a Week 6 win. The Saints snapped a three-game losing streak and survived the New York Giants 34-27 last week. Tyler Shough led the way with a trio of TD passes. Kellen Moore's crew has had some success on offense, ranking 10th in scoring and eighth in third-down percentage. New Orleans is one of three teams with 100 percent efficiency in goal-to-go situations. Per TruMedia, its 84 percent red-zone rate is the best of any Saints team this century through six games. That's especially impressive given Drew Brees' long, dynamic run in black and gold. Shough's main targets include Chris Olave , the league's second-leading receiver, and Alvin Kamara , the versatile backfield playmaker. Problems have mostly come from the other side of the ball. New Orleans is 30th in run defense and tied for 31st in points allowed per game. It'll look to make things easier through its pass rush. Chase Young leads with 5 1/2 sacks, and Carl Granderson has 1 1/2 sacks in back-to-back weeks. Sports betting analyst Nick Kostos sees the Steelers winning on Sunday. Here's what he says in his Week 7 confidence picks : “It felt like the Steelers found something on offense last week. Rookie receiver Germie Bernard looks like Rodgers' new security blanket, and DK Metcalf had a season-high 11 catches. The passing game looked great and should have Steelers fans excited. The Saints are a team on the up and up, but the Steelers are ready for primetime. I like them to win their third straight game and hand the fleur-de-lis a loss.” Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic . Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.