How to Watch the 2020 NFL Season Kickoff — Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans Live Stream Online

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While every other sport in America was forced to make mass cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the timing of its offseason allowed the NFL to bide its time. And indeed, the league returns tonight without having missed so much as a single regular season game.

As has become tradition, the defending champions will kick off the season on their home field — as the Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Houston Texans on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Unlike most sporting events since the start of the pandemic, the game will have some fans in attendance — 22 percent capacity, roughly 16,000 fans are expected in Arrowhead on Thursday night.

The Chiefs open their title defense with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes locked into a long-term contract to lead the franchise through the next decade. Coach Andy Reid is also back as the Chiefs attempt to supplant the Patriots as the next NFL dynasty.

Houston, meanwhile, looks to improve off of a strong 2019 season, which culminated in an AFC South title. But that season ended in disappointing fashion on Kansas City’s field, incidentally. Houston raced out to a 24-0 lead early in their divisional round showdown with the Chiefs. But the Texans didn’t even take the lead to the locker room, as Kansas City stormed back en route to a 51-31 rout. With Deshaun Watson back under center, the Texans are looking to start off the new campaign by turning the tables on their AFC rivals.

The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth have the call. The action will be streamed live on the NBC Sports website, and can also be streamed on mobile devices via the NBC Sports app. The app can be downloaded via Apple’s iTunes Store and the Google Play Store. A cable subscription is required for the NBC Sports stream.