The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are kicking off the 2026 NFL season with a Sunday night NFC East showdown.
Dallas is heading to MetLife Stadium tonight to face New York in the first Sunday Night Football game of the regular season. It’s also the first game of the season for both teams, with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys taking on Jaxson Dart and a Giants team making its debut under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Not a bad way to wrap up the first Sunday of the NFL season.
If you’re hoping to watch the Cowboys vs. Giants game tonight, we’ve got the details on when the game starts, what channel it’s on and how to stream it online.
What time is the Cowboys vs. Giants game tonight?
The Cowboys vs. Giants game starts at 8:20 p.m. ET tonight, Sunday, September 13.
The game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
NBC‘s Sunday Night Football coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America, so you’ll have an hour of pregame coverage before kickoff.
What channel is the Cowboys vs. Giants game on tonight?
The Cowboys vs. Giants game will air nationally on NBC.
The matchup is the 2026 season debut of Sunday Night Football, which is returning for its 21st season on NBC. The Cowboys and Giants have also become something of an SNF staple, with this marking the 14th time the NFC East rivals have met as part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football package.
How to watch the Cowboys vs. Giants game live online
No cable? You can stream Cowboys vs. Giants on Peacock.
The game is also available through NBC’s digital platforms with participating TV-provider credentials. NBC and Peacock will carry the Sunday night matchup, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET ahead of the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.
Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $12.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $19.99/month.
You can save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock’s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $129.99 with ads or $199.99 without ads.
Peacock Premium Plus is also available to subscribe to via Prime Video with a seven-day free trial that you can’t get by subscribing directly on Peacock.
How to watch the Cowboys vs. Giants game for free
Here’s the catch: Peacock does not currently offer a standard free trial, so you shouldn’t count on signing up for Peacock tonight and watching the game for free.
However, if you already have access to NBC through your TV provider, you may be able to stream the game online without paying anything extra. You can also check whether a live TV streaming service carrying your local NBC station is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
The only way to watch shows airing live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. Our favorite is DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Packs start at $19.99/month.
And if you’re already paying for a service that includes Peacock, tonight’s game is included with your existing subscription.
Either way, Cowboys-Giants should be an entertaining way to close out Week 1. The teams split their two meetings last season, with Dallas winning a wild 40-37 overtime game in Week 2 before New York took the season finale, 34-17.
Now, the rivalry gets another chapter — this time with both teams starting from scratch.
For the Giants, it’s the first regular-season game of the John Harbaugh era. For Dallas, it’s the beginning of another season with Prescott under center, alongside CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
So, if you’re looking for something to watch after Sunday’s afternoon games wrap up, you’ve got your answer: Cowboys-Giants is on NBC tonight.
