NBCUniversal Surrounds 2026 NFL Kickoff
NBCUniversal’s “Race to Wednesday” campaign taps stars across NBC, Bravo and Peacock as NFL Kickoff football travels from Boston to Seattle.
September 09, 2026
With the NFL season kicking off tomorrow, NBCUniversal presents a comprehensive slate of NFL content across many of its programs and platforms leading up to the 21st season of Sunday Night Football. The 2026 season begins with the NFL Kickoff Game tomorrow, Sept. 9, when Sam Darnold and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
Sunday Night Football – America’s No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years – debuts its 21st season this Sunday, Sept. 13, featuring Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys visiting Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants in John Harbaugh’s head coaching debut with New York. Coverage begins with Football Night in America — the most-watched studio show in sports — live on-site from MetLife Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, leading into kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Universo.
Click here for more information on this year’s Sunday Night Football schedule.
Below is a summary of the NBCUniversal properties that are supporting NFL Kickoff:
RACE TO WEDNESDAY: NBCUniversal kicked off its “Race to Wednesday” campaign on Sept. 1, with a custom NFL Kickoff football embarking on a cross-country journey from Boston to Seattle ahead of tomorrow’s 2026 NFL Kickoff Game. Throughout the road trip, the football is making its way through iconic NFL cities and fan communities with the help of NBCUniversal and Bravo stars, content creators, mascots, and special guests, who appear in original social content, surprise handoffs, and memorable moments native to each stop. Fans can follow the football’s progress each day across @SNFonNBC, @NBCSports, and participating NBCUniversal social channels. The campaign-opening spot is available here.
TODAY: This morning’s show featured FNIA analyst Mike Tomlin’s discussion with Craig Melvin. TODAY correspondent and NBC Sports sideline reporter for the NFL Kickoff Game Kaylee Hartung will provide live reports from Lumen Field in Seattle during tomorrow morning’s edition of TODAY. Wednesday’s show will also feature SNF play-by-play voice Mike Tirico previewing the season with Hartung. TODAY debuted both the Kickoff promo and the Race to Wednesday launch call, which featured Craig Melvin and helped build momentum toward Kickoff. NBC News will re-air and amplify NFL segments in programming and across digital and social media.
NBC NEWS NOW: Hallie Jackson will interview Mike Tirico on this evening’s Hallie Jackson NOW
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON: The Tonight Show welcomed Mike Tomlin, Football Night in America’s newest studio analyst, for a guest appearance on Aug. 17.
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT: America’s Got Talent will air an NFL-themed live results show tonight, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
BRAVO: Bravo is presenting a custom promotion that celebrates the similarities between Bravo and NFL fandom by pairing iconic Bravo moments with NFL-inspired commentary. Bravo will publish additional sports-themed content on its dedicated social media channels.
OPEN HOUSE: Open House host George Oliphant spoke with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark to preview the 2026 NFL season. The interview will air this Sunday, Sept. 13 – the first Sunday of the NFL season, highlighted by the season premiere of Sunday Night Football.
ACCESS HOLLYWOOD: Access Hollywood has continued to promote the start of the NFL season with editorial coverage as well as a highlight of the NFL Kickoff promo.
NBC AFFILIATES, OWNED STATIONS AND NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS: NFL Kickoff promotions continue to air throughout the week on NBC Affiliates, Owned Stations and NBC Sports Regional Networks across the country, with analysis and commentary from NBC Sports’ SNF and FNIA teams on local newscasts.
TELEMUNDO: Telemundo highlighted NFL Kickoff during yesterday’s episode of Top Chef VIP (Sept. 7). Telemundo is also rolling out additional editorial support across sports and entertainment properties, with dedicated custom Spanish-language promos related to the 2026 NFL season.
UNIVERSAL PARKS: Universal Orlando’s NBC Sports Grill & Brew will feature a season-long Sunday Night Football menu, complete with football-themed food and drink specials. Fans can also celebrate NFL Kickoff with special watch parties at NBC Sports Grill & Brew, supported by promotional activations throughout Universal CityWalk.
COMCAST: Comcast Center Plaza in Philadelphia will host an NFL Season Kickoff Pep Rally to support the Philadelphia Eagles tomorrow, Sept. 9.
ON HER TURF: On Her Turf, NBC Sports’ brand that’s powered by sports women, for all women, will be rolling out football-related content throughout the 2026 NFL season.
PEACOCK: All of NBC Sports’ NFL regular-season games, playoff games, and Football Night in America will be presented live on Peacock this season, with Peacock Sunday Night Football Final streaming exclusively on the platform following every SNF matchup. Peacock will also offer fans access to NBC Sports NOW’s daily lineup of sports talk programming, including The Dan Patrick Show, PFT Live, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Not So Fast with Pabst & Perloff, and The Dan Le Batard Show. PFT Live will be on-site in Seattle tomorrow, previewing Patriots-Seahawks.
NBC SPORTS NOW: NBC Sports NOW, a free 24/7 streaming channel offering daily sports talk shows, live sports, and highlights, will deliver wall-to-wall NFL coverage leading into Wednesday’s NFL Kickoff Game and this weekend’s season premiere of Sunday Night Football, featuring live discussion, analysis, and on-site interviews.
ROTOWORLD: Rotoworld surrounds NFL Kickoff and the 2026 season with nonstop NFL and fantasy football coverage — delivering real-time player news, injury updates, rankings, podcasts, and analysis to keep fans informed.
NBC SPORTS SOCIAL: NBC Sports and Sunday Night Football’s social accounts continue to engage with NFL Kickoff throughout the week and will be joined by additional NBCU properties, including Bravo, Universal Pictures, and more.
NBC SPORTS DIGITAL: Led by the NFL on NBC YouTube channel, NBC Sports’ digital platforms continue to publish daily football content around the latest news and highlights, including exclusive interviews and features.
