FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 8th, 2020
2020 NFL SEASON KICKS OFF THIS THURSDAY NIGHT ON NBC AS PATRICK MAHOMES & DEFENDING CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HOST DESHAUN WATSON AND HOUSTON TEXANS
Coverage Begins with NFL Kickoff Special at 7 p.m. ET; Followed by 8:20 p.m. ET Kickoff
Jared Goff and Rams Open Los Angeles’ New SoFi Stadium Against Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys in Season Debut of Sunday Night Football on Sept. 13 – Coverage Begins with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET on NBC
“I can’t remember a year in which I’ve been more excited about the start of football than I am this year.” – Cris Collinsworth
“I think that first Sunday is going to be just an avalanche of storylines and the unexpected. I’m fascinated to see how the first month of the season plays out.” – Mike Tirico
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 8, 2020 – NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2020 NFL season begins with NFL Kickoff 2020 this Thursday, Sept. 10, at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, when Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Chiefs raise their Super Bowl LIV banner before hosting Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with the NFL Kickoff Special on NBC, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Sunday Night Football – America’s No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented nine consecutive years – debuts on Sunday, Sept. 13, with the first look at the new and spectacular SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, as Jared Goff and the Rams host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. SoFi Stadium marks the fifth NFL stadium opening on NBC SNF since 2009. Coverage begins with Football Night in America – the most-watched studio show in sports – at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Cowboys-Rams kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Calling both matchups is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 35th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and three-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the Sunday Night Football rules analyst.
NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff. SNF is the only show to win 10 Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series.
NBC’s coverage of NFL Kickoff 2020 begins on Thursday with the NFL Kickoff Special at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by a special edition of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, at 7:30 p.m. ET, featuring studio host Mike Tirico. He will be joined by co-host Liam McHugh, who will be on-site at both Arrowhead Stadium and SoFi Stadium this weekend, Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, and NFL Insider Mike Florio. NBC Sports host Jac Collinsworth makes his FNIA debut this Sunday. Football Night begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, and is produced by Rob Hyland and directed by Mike Sheehan.
The SNF team of Michaels, Collinsworth, Tafoya and Gaudelli, and the FNIA team of Tirico, Dungy, Harrison, Simms and executive producer Sam Flood previewed the 2020 NFL season on media conference calls. Click here for the SNF transcript, and here for the FNIA transcript.
Tomorrow night (Wednesday, Sept. 9), NFL Media and Queen Latifah present the Inspire Change Special at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Hosted by Queen Latifah, the one-hour program will highlight the efforts of NFL players, Legends and others in the NFL family to advance social justice and equality. The special also includes a discussion led by Mike Tirico with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. Click here for more information.
NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES:
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.
“SUNDAY NIGHT 7” FREE-TO-PLAY GAME RETURNS WITH $100,000 JACKPOT EVERY CONTEST
Once again this season, in the build-up to each week’s Sunday Night Football matchup, fans can participate in NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, Sunday Night 7, which features a $100,000 jackpot every contest over the course of the regular season and NBC NFL playoff games. This week, there is a special NFL Kickoff contest for Thursday’s Texans-Chiefs opening game. Sunday Night 7 is available for download NOW on the NBC Sports Predictor app (available in the App Store and Google Play Store) and at NBCSports.com/Predictor.
PETER KING’S NFL COLUMN “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” DEBUTS EVERY MONDAY EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM
A new “Football Morning in America” will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.
CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms examines everything happening in the NFL and around the sports world. Along with a rotation of NBC Sports hosts including Ahmed Fareed, Paul Burmeister and Liam McHugh, Chris Simms Unbuttoned analyses the NFL with in-depth Xs and Os breakdowns; one-on-one interviews with players, coaches and executives; and game recaps and preview.
ROTOWORLD
Rotoworld offers comprehensive fantasy football coverage throughout the 2020 NFL season across NBC Sports’ platforms. Rotoworld’s Fantasy Football Draft Guide and premium tools are available for purchase now via Rotoworld’s new subscription model, beginning at only $3.99 per month. The industry-leading source for fantasy football news and information, the 2020 Rotoworld Fantasy Football Draft Guide features more than 450 extensive player profiles, ‘Sleepers and Busts,’ player projections, positional rankings and tier groupings from Rotoworld’s NFL experts, and more. For the first time, Rotoworld’s Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet is downloadable and available for free by registering on Rotoworld.com. The Cheat Sheet, which includes top 200 PPR rankings, PPR positional rankings, dynasty rookies, and more, is also available as part of the 2020 Draft Guide.
PFT LIVE – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON PEACOCK
Mike Florio and co-host Chris Simms bring fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live streaming live on Peacock at 7 a.m. ET. Peter King and NBC Football Night in America analyst Rodney Harrison also contribute regularly to PFT Live’s coverage throughout the season.
The two-hour PFT Live is known for delivering inside information and comprehensive analysis from an independent perspective. The show covers all the latest news around the league, breaks down reports and rumors and features interviews with players, coaches and executives. The show will be re-aired on NBCSN from 9-11 a.m. ET.
PODCASTS
NBC Sports’ football podcasts provide extensive weekly offerings from NBC Sports’ most popular personalities and present special guests, exclusive interviews, and robust conversations across all of football on The Peter King Podcast, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, PFT PM, and Rotoworld Football. While The Peter King Podcast features intimate discussions with the NFL’s top players, Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT PM dive into deep conversations around the sports’ hottest topics, and Rotoworld Football explores fantasy implications for fans. New episodes of NBC Sports podcasts are available for download each week on all major podcast platforms including:
NBCSports.com/podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA
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- SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Through the unique filter of Instagram, fans will get an in-depth look at each week’s Sunday Night Football game with the most engaging photos and videos from across the NFL. SNF also utilizes Instagram Stories for up-to-the-minute coverage of the league.
- SNF ON TWITTER: The very latest news, video, analysis from the Football Night in America crew and much more lives on @SNFonNBC, the real-time engine for NBC’s year-round NFL coverage.
- SNF ON FACEBOOK: With more than 3.5 million followers, SNF’s Facebook page is the hub of football conversation. It’s the place to converse and engage with fellow fans on the latest news and action across the NFL.
- NBC SPORTS ON TIKTOK: New for 2020, NBC Sports presence on TikTok puts the spotlight on the offbeat and exuberant side of the National Football League for a young, highly-engaged audience.
NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS
NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NFL markets such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, will surround the 2020 NFL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most in 32 million U.S. households.
SNF Grill Brings Stadium Experience to Frontline Workers
Throughout the 2020 NFL season, NBC will celebrate and support local communities by bringing the SNF Grill, a mobile concession stand setup, to the host cities of each Sunday Night Football game. The SNF Grill will thank first responders and frontline workers by bringing a gameday stadium experience, filled with free meals and football-related fun, to hospitals, fire stations, and other frontline worker venues.
In accordance with health and safety standards, social distancing and masks will be required at all stops.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood stars in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. This year’s show open debuts this Sunday night, Sept. 13 before kickoff of Cowboys-Rams on NBC.
Working within social-distancing parameters, the 2020 Sunday Night Football show open was uniquely produced without extras in a studio or stadium, while also celebrating the millions who watch the games.
For the first time, the SNF show open will feature user-generated content from fans showcasing their team spirit. In addition, cameos from some of the NFL’s biggest stars, also recorded remotely, will be highlighted.
Headlined by Underwood for the eighth consecutive season, the show open will also feature an inside at look at her new recording of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” in a Nashville studio.
NBC’S SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR RECORD NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS: NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2019-20 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented ninth consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the 10th consecutive TV season.
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*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: Flexible scheduling will be used in Weeks 11-17. Additionally, in Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling may be used in no more than two weeks. In Weeks 5-16, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday or Monday nights.
For Week 17, the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 3. The schedule does not list a Sunday night game in Week 17, but an afternoon game with playoff implications will be moved to that time slot. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks, and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.
– SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL –
