What better way to start the NFL season than with the best player in the league and the reigning Super Bowl champions defending home turf in the national spotlight?
The 2023 NFL season officially begins Thursday, when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs welcome Jared Goff and the Lions to Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City is coming off its second Super Bowl win with Mahomes at the helm, defeating Philadelphia in Super Bowl 57. The Chiefs are once again considered favorites to emerge out of the AFC and contend for a championship, led by Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid.
Meanwhile, for the Lions, it was a tale of two seasons last year for Dan Campbell’s crew. Detroit began the year 1-6, seemingly well out of the playoff race by Week 9, but ripped off eight wins in their final 10 teams to contend for a wild card spot in the NFC. While the team ultimately fell short, there is a ton of momentum for the Lions heading into 2023.
Here’s what to know about Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 1, including what channel the game is on and what time it will begin.
MORE: Watch Chiefs vs. Lions live with Fubo (free trial)
Where to watch Chiefs vs. Lions
Thursday night’s NFL game will be broadcast by NBC as part of the network’s “Sunday Night Football” package.
Mike Tirico will serve as the play-by-play announcer for the Chiefs vs. Lions game, with Cris Collinsworth providing analysis on the contest.
Week 1 will mark one of just two Thursday night games that will be broadcast as a part of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” package. The other will come on Thanksgiving, when the Seahawks host the 49ers in the final game of the holiday tripleheader.
For those looking to stream the Thursday night game, streamers will be able to watch the contest using NBC’s streaming service Peacock or Fubo, which comes with a free trial. Week 1 viewers also will be able to watch the Kansas CIty vs. Detroit matchup for free with a cable subscription in either the NFL App or the Yahoo! Sports App.
NFL+ is limited to live local broadcasts and primetime games. Streamers with NFL+ will also have access to other NFL programming, including NFL Network shows as well as replays of each of the NFL games from the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, viewers in Canada can watch the game live on DAZN, which is the country’s exclusive carrier of NFL Game Pass. Those with traditional cable subscriptions can also catch the game on TSN.
Cord-cutters will have plenty of options to watch Chiefs vs. Lions. They are as follows:
| Streaming option | Cable subscription needed? | Free? | Cost | Free trial? |
| NFL App | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Yahoo! Sports App | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| NFL+ | No | No | $6.99/month | Yes |
| DirecTV Stream | No | No | $74.99/month | Yes |
| Fubo | No | No | $69.99/month | Yes |
| Hulu Plus Live TV | No | No | $69.99/month | Yes |
| Sling TV | No | No | $55/month | Yes |
| YouTube TV | No | No | $72.99/month | Yes |
| DAZN (Canada) | No | No | $24.99/month* | No |
*$24.99 CAD
What time is the NFL game tonight?
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 7
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
The NFL Thursday night game between the Chiefs and Lions will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET.
NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” broadcast will host the season opener, with the network’s pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
In addition to kicking off the 2023 season, the Chiefs are set to raise their Super Bowl 57 banner as part of the pregame festivities.
NFL schedule Week 1
The Chiefs vs. Lions Thursday night contest will kick off the NFL season in Week 1 as one of three primetime games in the opening weekend.
On Sunday, it’s an NFC East clash in East Rutherford, N.J., as Daniel Jones the Giants host Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.”
The next night, Aaron Rodgers makes his New York debut, as the Jets play against Josh Allen and the rival Bills in an AFC East battle on “Monday Night Football.”
Below is the full schedule for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.
Week 1
Thursday, Sept. 7
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Sunday, Sept. 10
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Arizona Cardinals at Washington Commanders | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Monday, Sept. 11
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Buffalo Bills at New York Jets | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ABC |