Patriots Kick Off 2026 Season with Super Bowl LX Rematch Against Seahawks in Seattle

The New England Patriots began their 2026 campaign on Tuesday night with a primetime matchup against the Seattle Seahawks — a rematch of February’s Super Bowl LX. The season opener kicked off at 8:20 p.m. ET from Lumen Field in Seattle, airing nationally on NBC.

Seattle won the coin toss and deferred, meaning New England would receive the ball to open the second half. The Patriots’ defense made an early statement, with Dre’Mont Jones sacking Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold on third down to force a punt and give New England its first offensive possession of the year.

Marquee openings like this carry outsized viewership for the NFL and its broadcast partners. The league’s opening-night window has become one of television’s most valuable slots, and Comcast’s NBC has long held rights to the Sunday and standalone primetime packages, including the Kickoff Game. Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) traded at $24.59 on the day, down from a previous close of $26.33 — a decline of 6.61% — giving the media and telecommunications company a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion. Beyond its media segment, which includes NBC, Comcast operates through Residential Connectivity & Platforms, Business Services Connectivity, Studios, and Theme Parks businesses.

For the Patriots and Seahawks, the matchup offers an early measuring stick against the same opponent that closed out last season on the sport’s biggest stage. Both rosters enter 2026 with expectations shaped by that championship run, and the result — though just one of 272 regular-season games — will shape early narratives around both franchises.

The game also underscores the ongoing primetime streaming and broadcast competition, with NBC’s free over-the-air coverage competing against streaming-exclusive packages across the NFL’s schedule.

What to watch

• Final score and early-season standings implications for both Super Bowl LX participants.
• Nielsen ratings and streaming data for the Kickoff Game, a key barometer for NBC’s NFL inventory.
• Comcast’s next quarterly earnings report, which will detail Media segment performance and sports-rights economics.

Source: original release