The TV channel for the Cowboys vs. Buccaneers game is the same one that has broadcasted the last 15 NFL season openers. Yes, NBC will once again be showing the Thursday night football opener.
That said, it will be the only Thursday night NFL game that NBC is scheduled to broadcast this year. Fox has owned the rights to "Thursday Night Football" for a few years now, so NBC's season opener is actually technically a "Sunday Night Football" contest.
Confusing, I know. But all that you need to know is that NBC will be airing the season opener. It should be a dandy, as the Buccaneers and the Cowboys have two of the better-looking offenses in the NFC. Each has a talented, deep receiving corps and a couple of quarterbacks — Tom Brady and a now-healthy Dak Prescott — that should be able to take advantage of their weapons.
There should be plenty of fireworks in the NFL's season opener considering the strength of each offense. That said, Tampa Bay had one of the league's best defenses last year, so they certainly have the advantage — especially considering that they're playing front of a home crowd and are celebrating a Super Bowl win.
Here's everything to know about Thursday night's game between the Cowboys and Buccaneers, including the start time and TV schedule for the first game of the NFL season.
MORE: Watch Cowboys vs. Buccaneers live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
What channel is Cowboys vs. Buccaneers on today?
- Game: Cowboys vs. Buccaneers
- Date: Sept. 9, 2021
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: NBC Sports app | NBCSports.com | fuboTV | DAZN (In Canada)
Cowboys vs. Buccaneers will be broadcast on NBC. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color analyst) and Michele Tafoya (sidleine reporter) will be on the call as NBC's "Sunday Night Football" team for 2021.
And yes, though this game is being broadcast on Thursday night, it still is, technically, considered a "Sunday Night Football" game. Why? Because Fox owns the rights to "Thursday Night Football." So, don't be confused if they refer to the program as "Sunday Night Football" during the evening — though they may stick to "NFL Kickoff" or something of that ilk.
Below are the top TV markets in the United States and the NBC affiliate/TV channel for each.
| Market | NBC TV channel (digital) |
| New York | 4 (36) |
| Los Angeles | 4 (36) |
| Chicago | 5 (29) |
| Philadelphia | 10 (34) |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | 5 (24) |
| San Francisco/Bay area | 11 (12) |
| Washington D.C. | 4 (48) |
| Houston | 2 (35) |
| Boston | 15 (43) |
| Atlanta | 11 (10) |
| Phoenix | 12 (12) |
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | 8 (7) |
| Seattle | 5 (48) |
| Detroit | 4 (45) |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 11 (11) |
| Miami | 6 (31) |
| Denver | 9 (9) |
| Orlando | 2 (11) |
| Cleveland | 3 (17) |
| Sacramento | 3 (35) |
| Charlotte | 36 (22) |
| Portland | 8 (8) |
| St. Louis | 5 (35) |
| Pittsburgh | 11 (23) |
| Baltimore | 11 (11) |
| Raleigh-Durham | 5 (48) |
| Nashville | 4 (10) |
| San Diego | 39 (40) |
| Salt Lake City | 5 (38) |
| San Antonio | 3 (16) |
| Kansas City | 41 (36) |
| Columbus | 4 (14) |
| Milwaukee | 4 (28) |
| Cincinnati | 5 (35) |
| Las Vegas | 3 (22) |
| Jacksonville | 12 (13) |
| Oklahoma City | 4 (27) |
| New Orleans | 6 (43) |
| Memphis | 5 (5) |
| Buffalo | 2 (33) |
Streamers will be able to watch the game via NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app or by using fuboTV, which comes with a seven-day free trial.
Meanwhile, viewers in Canada can watch the game exclusively on DAZN with a subscription.
WEEK 1 NFL PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread
Cowboys vs. Buccaneers start time
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 9
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
The Cowboys and Buccaneers will square off at 8:20 p.m. ET with NBC's pregame coverage of the contest and NFL kickoff beginning at 7 p.m. For Cowboys fans, the contest will begin at 7:20 p.m. with pregame coverage at 6 p.m., as Dallas is in the central time zone.
Throughout the season, all Thursday night games will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET. The only Thursday with day games will be Thanksgiving, per usual.
Cowboys vs. Buccaneers will be played at Raymond James Stadium, both the home of the Buccaneers and the location at which they won Super Bowl 55.
NFL live stream for Cowboys vs. Buccaneers
The 2021 NFL season-opener is being broadcast on NBC, so the game will be available to stream live on NBCSports.com. This should be the preferred streaming method for cable/satellite subscribers that can't get in front of a TV.
Cord-cutters will have plenty of options to watch the Cowboys vs. Buccaneers game. They are as follows.
| Streaming option | Cable subscription needed? | Free? | Cost | Free trial? |
| NBC Sports | Yes | Yes | - | - |
| NFL App | No | Yes | - | - |
| Yahoo! Sports App | No | Yes | - | - |
| fuboTV | No | No | $60/month | Yes |
| AT&T TV Now | No | No | $55/month | Yes |
| Hulu Plus Live TV | No | No | $55/month | Yes |
| Sling TV | No | No | $30/month | Yes |
| YouTube TV | No | No | $65/month | Yes |
MORE: The NFL's 25 highest-paid players of 2021
NFL Week 1 schedule
Per usual, Week 1 of the NFL season will begin with a Thursday night game featuring the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, there is no "Monday Night Football" doubleheader this year, a departure of recent tradition for the NFL. The Raiders will host the Ravens in the lone Monday night game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The other prime-time game this week features the new-look Rams playing host to the Bears. Matthew Stafford will see a familiar foe quarterbacked by a new face, Andy Dalton.
Below is the complete Week 1 schedule for the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Thursday, Sept. 9
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Cowboys at Buccaneers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Sunday, Sept. 12
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Jaguars at Texans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Chargers at Washington Football Team | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Seahawks at Colts | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Jets at Panthers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Vikings at Bengals | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Cardinals at Titans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 49ers at Lions | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Steelers at Bills | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Eagles at Falcons | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Browns at Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Packers at Saints | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Broncos at Giants | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Dolphins at Patriots | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Bears at Rams | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Monday, Sept. 13
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Ravens at Raiders | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |