NBC Sports Opens 2018 NFL Season with NFL KICKOFF 2018 and SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

NBC Sports will present a combined 21 regular-season and postseason games as part of the network's comprehensive coverage of the upcoming 2018 NFL season. Coverage begins with NFL Kickoff 2018 one week from today, as the defending SUPER BOWL champion Philadelphia Eagles begin their title defense against the ATLANTA Falcons from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Coverage begins on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by a new earlier kickoff time at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Sunday Night Football - America's No. 1 primetime television show for an unprecedented seven consecutive years - debuts on Sunday, Sept. 9, as two-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Packers celebrate the start of the franchise's 100th season against second-year quarterbackMitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears. Coverage begins with Football Night in America - the most-watched studio show in sports - at 7 p.m. ET, with kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports' coverage of the 2018 NFL season features pre-game coverage on NBC with FNIA; live streaming of Sunday Night Football for desktops, tablets, connected TVs, and - for the first time - mobile devices on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app; daily studio coverage on NBCSN with PFT Live; daily radio coverage on more than 425 NBC Sports Radio affiliates across the United States; local team coverage on 10 NBC Sports Regional Networks; comprehensive fantasy football coverage online through Rotoworld.com; and additional content across NBC Sports' digital and social media channels.

2018 marks NBC's 13th consecutive season as the premier primetime broadcast home of the NFL. NBC presents 19 regular-season games as part of its Sunday Night Football package (17 regular-season SNF games, NFL Kickoff 2018, and the annual Thanksgiving night game) and two NFL Playoff games.

NFL KICKOFF 2018 AND SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

The 2018 NFL regular season begins on Thursday, Sept. 6, with NFL Kickoff 2018 on NBC, as the Eagles host the Falcons from Lincoln Financial Field. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with a special edition of Football Night in America, followed by a new earlier kickoff time at 8:20 p.m. ET.

Coverage continues with the debut of Sunday Night Football, which features an NFC North divisional clash between the Packers and the Bears from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. This marks the second time (2009) that the Packers and Bears have opened the season on NBC's SNF. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with FNIA.

Calling both matchups is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 33rd season as THE VOICE of the NFL's premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporterMichele Tafoya. This marks the 10th season that Michaels and Collinsworth will serve as the announcer team in the NBC broadcast booth.

In addition, three-time SUPER BOWL referee and SNF's new rules analyst Terry McAulay will join Michaels and Collinsworth in the booth. NBC's coverage ofNFL Kickoff 2018 and Sunday Night Football is led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff. SNF has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series in nine of the last 10 years.

This season marks Carrie Underwood's sixth year performing the Sunday Night Football open, which will debut on Sunday, Sept. 9, prior to NBC's first SNFbroadcast.

FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA

NBC's coverage of NFL Kickoff 2018 begins with a special edition of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, featuring new studio host Mike Tirico. He will be joined on-site from Lincoln Financial Field by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, and two-time SUPER BOWL champion Rodney Harrison.

For the past two seasons, Tirico co-hosted FNIA from the game site. That role will now be filled by Liam McHugh, who will be joined on-site most weeks by theSunday Night Football team of Michaels, Collinsworth, and Tafoya. In addition,Rob Hyland joins Football Night as the show's new coordinating producer. "Football Morning in America" columnist Peter King will also contribute to FNIA's coverage on occasion.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES:

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs via "TV Everywhere,"giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. This marks the first season that NBC Sports is able to live stream to mobile devices and on Playstation 4. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC's broadcasts. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, Playstation and Xbox.

PETER KING'S NFL COLUMN "FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA" DEBUTS EVERY MONDAY EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

A new "Football Morning in America" will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com, making regular appearances on NBCSN's and NBC Sports Radio's PFT Live with Florio, and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

NBC Sports recently premiered King's Football Morning in America Camp Tour, a two-episode television special chronicling his visits to NFL training camps, on NBCSN. Both episodes feature dozens of interviews with high-profile players, coaches, and executives, as well as revealing insights and unique experiences. NBCSN will present encores in the days leading up to NFL Kickoff 2018. Click here for more information.

PFT LIVE - WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

Mike Florio and co-host Chris Simms bring fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live on NBCSN at 7 a.m. ET. Peter King will also contribute regularly to PFT Live's coverage throughout the regular season. In addition, on the mornings after games where rulings are a hot topic, McAulay will join Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Radio and NBCSN.

The two-hour PFT Live provides all-encompassing coverage of the NFL, including the most current news and analysis, thought-provoking debates, and interviews with a wide variety of NFL newsmakers. The program is a simulcast of NBC Sports Radio's PFT Live national program that airs daily beginning at 6 a.m. ET.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA

• SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Going into its seventh season, Sunday Night Football gives the SNF fan a look at photos through the filters of Instagram. Fans get a look around each SNF city, as well as access inside the production trucks, the locker rooms, on the field, and on the sideline, as our social media producer captures the best photos of Sunday night and posts in real time. Each week, SNF on Instagram will host Instagram Live interviews with Michele Tafoya and players from each team. In addition, SNF on Instagram will utilize Instagram stories to maximize fans' exposure to the Sunday Night Football footprint.
• SNF ON TWITTER: Using tweets, photos, and videos, @SNFonNBC provides unique content with SNF talent, production crew and NFL players. Additionally, Tafoya will provide real-time tweets from the sideline to provide followers with updates all game long.
• SNF ON SNAPCHAT: For the second season, NBC Sports' Snapchat account will be creating content on the platform at each Sunday Night Football game, including Kickoff and from the SNF Bus. The NBC Sports Snapchat account will take fans behind the scenes to the FNIA set and around cities where Sunday Night Football comes to town, utilizing lenses and filters to customize content specifically for the Snapchat audience.
• SNF ON FACEBOOK: - At nearly 3.7 million likes strong, the Sunday Night Football Facebook page provides social-first stories, photos and video every week.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BUS RETURNS FOR 2018 NFL SEASON

NBC Sports Group's Sunday Night Football bus returns this season to travel the country, visiting the host cities of select Sunday Night Football games. The bus will bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to various SNF locations, before arriving at its final destination in Week 17.

Fans will get a closer look at the behind-the-scenes action of SNF broadcasts on the bus, which will take fans from the field, to the studio and in the production trucks. Features of the bus include an interactive replica of the control room, an interactive player wall, a Carrie Underwood music experience, a replica of theFootball Night in America desk, an area showcasing SNF's new initiative with the Boys & Girls Clubs and more.

The bus will arrive in each city two to three days prior to the game, making stops at local landmarks and events before heading to the game site. Once at the stadium, the Sunday Night Football bus will give fans the opportunity to interact with America's most-watched primetime television show with exclusive activities, memorabilia and a 55-inch monitor housing social media elements.

NBC SPORTS RADIO

NBC Sports Radio will surround the 2018 NFL season with daily coverage across more than 425 radio affiliates, highlighted by PFT Live, featuring NFL insider and Football Night In America commentator Mike Florio daily from 6-9 a.m. ET; the PFT PM podcast hosted by Florio, which takes a look back at the day that was in the NFL; Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison and Dan Schwartzman; featuring three-time All Pro and two-time Super Bowl-winner Rodney Harrison; and more.

To listen to a live stream of NBC Sports Radio, or find your local affiliate, visitwww.NBCSportsRadio.com

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NFL markets such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, will surround the 2018 NFL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most in more than 40 million U.S. households.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

In 10 days on Sunday, Sept. 9, seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood and NFL players star in the debut of the 2018 show open for primetime television's No. 1 program, NBC's Sunday Night Football. A sneak preview is now available here on NBCSports.com.

Pepsi is the sponsor of the SNF open and will be integrated on-air each week.

Ten NFL players, who have accounted for 19 PRO BOWL selections, five SUPER BOWL rings, and four first-round draft picks, participated in the open and took part in shoots this summer. Following is the complete list (*denotes debut in SNFopen): Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff*, Minnesota VIKINGS QB Kirk Cousins*, New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley*, Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz*, Eagles OT Lane Johnson*, Eagles TEZach Ertz*, Eagles DT Fletcher Cox*, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brownand Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.

Tripp Dixon is creative director of the SNF show open, which features a new song performed by Underwood, "Game On," which she co-wrote with Chris DeStefano and Brett James. The song was produced by Mark Bright and DeStefano.

The open makes its television debut on Sunday, Sept. 9 as the Packers host the Bears on SNF.

This season's open ranges far from the sound stage, utilizing the DJI Inspire X7 Drone special drone technology to capture NFL players and their cities in stunning 6k resolution. NFL player action scenes were shot at high frame rates with the Phantom camera to accentuate their athleticism.

Click here for more information.

ROTOWORLD'S 2018 NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT GUIDE AND DAILY FANTASY SPORTS TOOLKIT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

The 2018 Rotoworld Fantasy Football Draft Guide, the industry-leading source for fantasy football information and news, is available for purchase onRotoworld.com ahead NFL Kickoff 2018. A one-stop source for all fantasy needs, the 2018 Rotoworld Fantasy Football Draft Guide is the most comprehensive to date, featuring more than 500 extensive player profiles, Evan Silva's 'Sleepers and Busts,' player projections, positional rankings from six of Rotoworld's NFL experts and more.

In addition, Rotoworld recently launched its first-ever NFL daily fantasy sports (DFS) toolkit designed to help users build smarter lineups utilizing an exclusive simulator based on various statistics and factors for FanDuel, Yahoo! and DraftKings contests. Click here for more information.

To purchase any Rotoworld Fantasy Football Guide product or packages online, visit Rotoworld.com.

NBC'S "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION'S NO. 1 SHOW FOR UNPRECEDENTED SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR:

The last seven years of NBC's Sunday Night Football (2011-17) have been history-making, as SNF has been primetime TV's No. 1 show for an unprecedented seven consecutive seasons - breaking its tie with American Idol(six) for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. Prior to 2011, a sports series had never been primetime television's top show for a full season. Sunday Night Footballhas also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for eight consecutive TV seasons.

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