ย Call it the kick-off to the Kickoff.
NBC is mounting a week-long promotional effort called โRace to Wednesdayโ to give fans ample notice that its 2026 NFL Kickoff Game takes place on a Wednesday โ just the second time in NBC Sportsโ history of football coverage it will do so.
Starting Tuesday, a custom NFL Kickoff football will be sent on a journey across the U.S., with personalities from NBC, Bravo and Peacock offering updates along the way. Maria Taylor of โFootball Night in Americaโ will be seen informing personnel from the three media properties the Kickoff Game has moved to Wednesday.
The football will make its way from Boston to Seattle, traveling through NFL cities and various fan communities with help from NBC and Bravo talent, content creators, mascots and surprise guests, all appearing in social content
โAt NBCUniversal, we take major events and turn them into cultural moments,โย saidย Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, in a statement. โWith the NFL season kicking off on a Wednesday, a rare occurrence that immediately captures attention, we wanted to turn the countdown itself into an event. โNBCโs Race to Wednesdayโ unites our talent, brands and fan communities across the country to build anticipation for one of the most exciting days on the sports calendar.โ
NBC Sports will broadcast the NFLโs opening game for the 21st consecutive season next Wednesday, Sept. 9, with defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hostย the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. eastern with a special edition ofย Football Night in America, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
Participants in the โRace to Wednesdayโ launch call include: Maria Taylor; Mike Tirico; Cris Collinsworth; Craig Melvin; Tracy Morgan; Teresa Giudice; Lisa Barlow; Gizelle Bryant; Alan Cumming; David Alan Grier; Rob Rausch; Corbin Mims; Pat Patriot; Blitz; Marley the Camel; and sundry Minions.
Participants in the overall โRace to Wednesdayโ journey include: โBostonโ Rob Mariano; Misty Copeland; Porsha Williams; Rodolfo Rohas and Brandon Marshall; Haley and Hanna Cavinder; casts of NBCโs various โChicagoโ series; Anthony Hamilton Jr. and Tatyana Joseph; Cisco Kid & Kenna; Kayce Kirihara.
Fans can follow the footballโs progress each day acrossย @SNFonNBC,ย @NBCSports, and participating NBCUniversal social channels throughout the week.
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