Ready for the 2023 NFL kickoff game? Get your free trial and become a Fubo member. Access all NFL games without cable and satellite on every device.
As the 2023 NFL season gets closer and closer, it is time to get ready to enjoy and add the schedule to your calendars. We’ll prepare you for the upcoming season and everything it has to offer.
2023 NFL Kickoff Game
This season’s kickoff game will take place on Thursday, Sept. 7, marking the 104th installment. The remaining Week 1 games will be played on Sunday, Sept. 10 and Monday, Sept. 11. Last season began on Sept. 8, 2022, with the defending Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams falling to the Buffalo Bills.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Fubo is your home for the 2023 NFL Season!
What Teams Play on NFL Kickoff Day?
Per usual, this year’s kickoff game will include the Super Bowl defending champion, which is the Kansas City Chiefs. When the schedule came out earlier this month, fans found out that the Chiefs would be facing the Detroit Lions at home with a kickoff time of 8:20 p.m. ET.
When was the first NFL Kickoff game?
The first NFL kickoff game was held in 2002 and it did not disappoint. The teams that played that game were the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants. Jose Cortez kicked a 36-yard field goal with six seconds to play, giving the San Francisco 49ers a win.
Is the NFL Kickoff game always on Thursday?
The NFL kickoff game is usually scheduled for Thursday and since 2002 the only time that hasn’t happened was in 2012 due to a conflict with the last day of the Democratic National Convention.
Does the Super Bowl Champion always play the NFL Kickoff game?
The defending Super Bowl champion usually plays the NFL kickoff game. However, that hasn’t been the case two times.
2013: The defending champion Baltimore Ravens were the road team against the Denver Broncos due to a Baltimore Orioles home game on the same date.
2019: Instead of the defending champion New England Patriots hosting the game, the NFL scheduled the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field to celebrate the league’s 100th anniversary.
The New England Patriots have played in the most kickoff games, which is four times. They have a 3-1 record in those games. The Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants all have three appearances.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Fubo is your home for the 2023 NFL Season!
NFL Kickoff Game Results
2002: 49ers 16, Giants 13
2003: Washington 16, Jets 13
2004: Patriots 27, Colts 24
2005: Patriots 30, Raiders 20
2006: Steelers 28, Dolphins 17
2007: Colts 41, Saints 10
2008: Giants 16, Washington 7
2009: Steelers 13, Titans 10 (OT)
2010: Saints 14, Vikings 9
2011: Packers 42, Saints 34
2012: Cowboys 24, Giants 17
2013: Broncos 49, Ravens 27
2014: Seahawks 36, Packers 16
2015: Patriots 28, Steelers 21
2016: Broncos 21, Panthers 20
2017: Chiefs 42, Patriots 27
2018: Eagles 18, Falcons 12
2019: Packers 10, Bears 3
2020: Chiefs 34, Texans 20
2021: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 29
2022: Bills 31, Rams 10
Where to Stream 2023 NFL Kickoff Game
Want to watch the kickoff game and the rest of the season? Then make sure you’re subscribed to Fubo, which gives you access to all nationally televised NFL games (CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN) as well as regional coverage during the season and the NFL RedZone Channel.
Fubo is the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, offering 100+ live TV channels and regional sports networks. The service includes a DVR as well as on-demand content and focuses on sports programming. Fubo is the only live TV streaming platform with every Nielsen-rated sports channel. Leveraging Fubo’s proprietary data and technology platform optimized for live TV and sports viewership, subscribers can engage with the content they are watching through interactive product features like FanView, an in-video experience showcasing live game, team and player stats and scores in real-time. Fubo was also the first virtual MVPD to enable simultaneous viewing on up to four screens (Multiview on Apple TV) and the first to stream in 4K HDR. The service was ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Live TV Streaming Providers by J.D. Power (2022).
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Fubo is your home for the 2023 NFL Season!
