The 2026 NFL regular season opens Wednesday, September 9, with the defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots at Lumen Field in a nationally televised Super Bowl rematch on NBC and Peacock. Less than 24 hours later, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, marking the first NFL regular-season game ever played on the continent. The back-to-back primetime openers launch a season that spans 18 weeks, nine international games, and a record number of streaming-exclusive broadcasts.
Key Takeaways
- The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on Wednesday, September 9, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with Football Night in America pregame coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.
- The game is a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won 29-13 over New England on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, claiming the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
- The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix, the first NFL regular-season game in Australia.
- The first full Sunday slate arrives September 13 with 14 games, including Sunday Night Football (Giants at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC) and Monday Night Football (Chiefs at Dolphins, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN).
- The 2026 season features nine international games across seven countries, a Thanksgiving Eve game, a Christmas Eve game, and a Christmas Day tripleheader.
Wednesday’s Opener Brings a Rare Super Bowl Rematch to Lumen Field
The 2026 NFL Kickoff Game marks only the third time in league history that the previous season’s Super Bowl opponents have met in Week 1. The last occurrence was in 2016, when the Denver Broncos opened the season by hosting the Carolina Panthers in a Super Bowl 50 rematch and won 21-20. Before that, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-10 in a 1970 season opener that followed the two teams’ meeting in Super Bowl IV. Wednesday’s game is also the first Kickoff Game played on a Wednesday since 2012, breaking the league’s recent tradition of Thursday night openers.
Sam Darnold leads the Seahawks into the defense of their championship. Seattle’s defensive unit, which recorded six sacks and forced three turnovers from Drake Maye during the Super Bowl, returns largely intact heading into September. The defense earned the nickname “the Dark Side” during the 2025 postseason run and enters the new year as one of the league’s most feared units. On the other side, Maye and the Patriots arrive as the AFC’s reigning conference champions, having completed a turnaround season under their coaching staff that saw New England reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the Tom Brady era. Wednesday marks the Patriots’ first prime-time season opener since 2019 and the franchise’s first Wednesday game in its history.
NBC Sports is producing the broadcast as part of its 21st consecutive season of Sunday Night Football. Mike Tirico handles play-by-play alongside analyst Cris Collinsworth, with the pregame Football Night in America studio show featuring Maria Taylor, Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett, and Devin McCourney. Spanish-language coverage of the opener airs simultaneously on Telemundo and Universo. NBC will also air an NFL Kickoff Spotlight special on Friday, September 11, at 9:00 p.m. ET, previewing the season with NFL Films-produced footage from all 32 training camps.
The Melbourne Game Brings the NFL to a 100,000-Seat Cricket Ground for the First Time
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams take the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET for the first NFL regular-season game in Australia. Because of the 14-hour time difference, the game kicks off at 10:35 a.m. AEST on Friday, September 11, local time in Melbourne. The MCG, one of the largest stadiums in the world, holds a listed capacity of 100,024 and has served as the home of Australian Rules Football and international cricket for more than a century. The NFL has long targeted the venue as a centerpiece for its expansion into the Australian and Asia-Pacific markets.
Netflix holds the exclusive broadcast rights to the Melbourne game in the United States and more than 200 countries worldwide. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. Noah Eagle calls play-by-play alongside Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former Carolina Panthers All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly, who makes his debut as a booth analyst. Tom Pelissero and MJ Acosta-Ruiz handle sideline reporting duties, and three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay joins the coverage as rules analyst. In Australia, the game also airs on the Seven Network and ESPN Australia. The game is available in the teams’ respective local markets through NBC affiliate stations.
The NFC West rivals played twice last season and will meet again in Week 14 of the 2026 season. The Rams’ roster includes quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and the returning Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement ahead of the Melbourne game. The 49ers bring quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, and wide receiver Mike Evans, who signed a three-year deal with San Francisco in March after spending his first 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The availability of 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle remains a game-time decision; the team is expected to release official inactives approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.
The Full Sunday Slate and the Season’s Expanded International and Streaming Calendar
The first full day of NFL action arrives Sunday, September 13, with 14 games across two broadcast windows and a primetime night cap. The 1:00 p.m. ET window features eight games across CBS and Fox, including the New Orleans Saints at the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills at the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens at the Indianapolis Colts, and the Chicago Bears at the Carolina Panthers. The 4:25 p.m. ET window includes the Green Bay Packers at the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Commanders at the Philadelphia Eagles. Sunday Night Football closes the day with the Dallas Cowboys at the New York Giants at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Week 1 wraps on Monday, September 14, with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Miami Dolphins at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The 2026 season marks the NFL’s most ambitious international calendar to date, with nine games scheduled across seven countries during the regular season. Beyond Melbourne, the league will stage games in London, Munich, Madrid, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Dublin. The 49ers alone make two international trips this year, traveling to Melbourne in Week 1 and Mexico City in November to face the Minnesota Vikings.
The season’s broadcast and streaming landscape has also expanded. Netflix, which debuted NFL regular-season games during the 2024 Christmas Day package, now holds rights to multiple regular-season windows in 2026, including the Melbourne game, a Thanksgiving Eve matchup, two Christmas Day games, and select Week 18 matchups. Amazon Prime Video continues to hold exclusive Thursday Night Football rights beginning in Week 2. The full 18-week regular season runs through January 10, 2027, with playoffs beginning January 16 and Super Bowl LXI scheduled for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Time Does the NFL Season Opener Start?
The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9, at 8:20 p.m. ET at Lumen Field. The game airs on NBC and Peacock, with Football Night in America pregame coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. Spanish-language coverage is available on Telemundo and Universo.
How Do Viewers Watch the NFL Melbourne Game?
The San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 10, streams exclusively on Netflix at 8:35 p.m. ET. The game is included in all Netflix subscription plans. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game is also available through NFL+ on eligible mobile devices and on NBC affiliate stations in the teams’ local markets.
When Is Super Bowl LXI?
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The 18-week regular season runs from September 9, 2026, through January 10, 2027, with the playoffs beginning January 16, 2027.
