National Football League Kickoff game The NFL Kickoff game , and related festivities , mark the start of the National Football League season . A single game is held , preceded by a concert and other ceremonies . Since the 2004 season , the defending Super Bowl champion has hosted the showcased Kickoff game . The remainder of the league plays their opening weekend games the following Sunday and Monday . The pregame concert and game is televised live on NBC . The first game of the season is usually scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day . In 2008 and 2012 , the game was moved to prevent conflicts with the acceptance speeches of the 2008 Republican National Convention and the 2012 Democratic National Convention . History . The Kickoff Game was introduced in the 2002 season , under the leadership of then - NFL marketing executive John Collins and then - NFL Senior Vice President of Special Events Jim Steeg . It was conceived as an effort to boost economic recovery in the New York and Washington areas in the wake of 9 / 11 . It was considered a success , increasing NFL sponsorships by $ 1 . 9 billion over the next 14 months . ESPN televised the first game . In order to do so , ESPN eliminated its traditional late - October Thursday night game ( held the weekend of Games 1 and 2 of the World Series ) , and replaced it with the opening night kickoff game . The concept of the NFL champion playing in an opening game was not altogether new , however . From 1934 to 1976 , the first game of the pre - season was the Chicago All - Star Game , an exhibition match featuring the previous season ' s NFL champions against an all - rookie team of college all - stars held annually in Soldier Field in Chicago . After the merger of the NFL with the All - America Football Conference in 1949 , the opening game of the 1950 NFL season was a Saturday night showcase game between the NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles and the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns . Billed as the " The World Series of Pro Football " the game matched the 4 - time champion Browns against the 2 - time champion Eagles and with an attendance of 71 , 000 was one of the largest pro football crowds to that date . With the advent of " Monday Night Football " in 1970 it became common for the Super Bowl champion to appear in a " showcase " game the first weekend of the season . This was the case in 1978 – 1979 , 1983 , 1987 – 1988 , 1990 – 1993 , 1996 – 2000 , and 2002 – 2003 . Defending Super Bowl champions are 8 – 1 in the Kickoff Game . The New York Football Giants are the only defending Super Bowl champions to have lost . They are also the only home team to have lost in the Kickoff Game twice - once in the very first edition of the contest , when the defending Super Bowl winner was not yet a regular participant , and again in 2012 . Selected details . 2003 : The game ' s popularity and success saw it move to ABC as part of the " Monday Night Football " package . In order for the kickoff game to fit into the schedule , ABC dropped the " Monday Night Football " game held in the last week of the NFL season , which had become increasingly unpopular because it often lacked playoff significance ( and also the possibility that a team playing on Monday night in week 17 might have to play a playoff game the following Saturday was not desired ) . In return , ESPN ( which is owned by ABC ) received a week 17 Saturday night game . While defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay were not selected for the Thursday night game , they did play a nationally - televised game at Philadelphia four nights later on " MNF " . 2004 : The tradition began that the kickoff game would be hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions . After the " wardrobe malfunction " incident at Super Bowl XXXVIII , the NFL initially canceled future plans for concerts in conjunction with the NFL Kickoff game . Later in the year , however , the decision was reversed , and instead a 10 - second broadcast delay was put in place . 2006 : With the change in television contracts , the Kickoff Game was moved to NBC , who held the rights to " Sunday Night Football " . The game opposite the first weekend of World Series games was once again removed to compensate . ( The Monday night game at the end of the season , however , was not revived . Instead , after an impromptu experiment in 2005 , a Monday night doubleheader was scheduled for the same weekend as the kickoff game . ) 2008 : The league and NBC agreed to move up the opening kickoff of the kickoff game , to 7 : 00 p . m . , in order that John McCain could address the nation during the Republican National Convention without having to compete with the game . That game featured the Redskins and Giants . The game was also be the first to be carried by Internet television in the United States , as did all " Sunday Night Football " games in the 2008 season . 2010 : The Saints , winners of Super Bowl XLIV , hosted the kickoff game at the Superdome against the Vikings , a rematch of the previous season ' s NFC Championship Game . There was consideration of a match - up against the Steelers ( to create a contest between the last two Super Bowl champions ) but it did not come to fruition due to various logistical reasons . 2011 : The Packers hosted the 2011 Kickoff Game after winning Super Bowl XLV . They defeated the New Orleans Saints , a match - up of the winners of the two previous Super Bowls , the first time this has occurred . The Saints are only the second team to have played in two consecutive kickoff games , and the first to do so not by winning two consecutive Super Bowls . In the third quarter , the Packers ' Randall Cobb returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown , tying the NFL record for the longest such return . 2012 : Instead of opening up the season on a Thursday like in past years , the 2012 Kickoff Game was moved one day earlier to Wednesday , September 5 , in order that Barack Obama could address the nation during the Democratic National Convention without having to compete with the game . The New York Giants , winner of Super Bowl XLVI , hosted their rivals , the Dallas Cowboys . Results . " Winning team and score labeled in bold . " < nowiki > * < / nowiki > – Game was not hosted by the Defending Super Bowl champions < br > < nowiki > * * < / nowiki > – Game played between last 2 Super Bowl Winners < br > < nowiki > + < / nowiki > – Game played on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday < br > ^ – Overtime result < br >