NBC Announces 2016 SUNDAY, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Schedules

NBC, the only network with two primetime NFL packages -- featuring Sunday Night Football, America's No. 1 primetime television show for five consecutive years, and for the first time Thursday Night Football -- will broadcast 24 NFL games during the 2016 regular season.

NBC's schedule kicks off with a blockbuster Kickoff Weekend featuring all four teams from last season's AFC and NFC Championship Games. First, in NFL Kickoff 2016 on Thursday, Sept. 8, it's a SUPER BOWL 50 rematch as SUPER BOWL MVP Von Miller and the champion Denver Broncos host NFL MVP Cam Newton and the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. Panthers-Broncos marks the first Week 1 SUPER BOWL rematch since 1970 (Vikings beat Chiefs 27-10 in Minnesota eight months after a 23-7 loss to Kansas City in SUPER BOWL IV).

In the SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL opener on Sept. 11, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots return to University of Phoenix Stadium - site of their February 2015 SUPER BOWL victory - to face Carson Palmer and the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals.

The Patriots return to NBC on Sunday, Nov. 13, to host Russell Wilson and the Seahawks in a rematch of their SUPER BOWL XLIX thriller, which was televised by NBC and is the most-watched show in U.S. television history (114.4 million viewers).

Later that week, NBC kicks off its Thursday Night Football slate on Nov. 17 as Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visit the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. The Nov. 17 matchup is the start of NBC's six consecutive Thursdays with primetime NFL games and is followed by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts on Thanksgiving night; the Tony Romo-led Dallas Cowboys at Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota VIKINGS on Thurs., Dec. 1; and wraps up with Eli Manning and the New York Giants visiting Sam Bradford and the division rival Philadelphia Eagles on Thurs., Dec. 22.

In addition to kicking off the 2016 NFL season, NBC will broadcast a Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of January 14-15, and a Wild Card Playoff game on the January 7-8 weekend.

2016 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 8	NFL Kickoff	Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos
Sun. Sept. 11	Week 1	New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals
Sun. Sept. 18	Week 2	Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Sun. Sept. 25	Week 3	Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Oct. 2	Week 4	Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Oct. 9	Week 5	New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Oct. 16	Week 6	Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
*Sun. Oct. 23	Week 7	Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
*Sun. Oct. 30	Week 8	Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Nov. 6	Week 9	Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
*Sun. Nov. 13	Week 10	Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
*Sun. Nov. 20	Week 11	Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins
**Thurs. Nov. 24	Week 12	Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts
*Sun. Nov. 27	Week 12	New England Patriots at New York Jets
*Sun. Dec. 4	Week 13	Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Dec. 11	Week 14	Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
*Sun. Dec. 18	Week 15	Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Sun. Dec. 25	Week 16	Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
*Sun. Jan. 1	Week 17	TBD

*Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

2016 NBC THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Nov. 17	Week 11	New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Thurs. Dec. 1	Week 13	Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Thurs. Dec. 8	Week 14	Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Thurs. Dec. 15	Week 15	Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Thurs. Dec. 22	Week 16	New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

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