NBC will roll out some new features during tonight’s Eagles-Cowboys game

Yes, Birds fans, there is finally a Philadelphia Eagles game tonight.

Two hundred and seven days after winning their second Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will begin their quest for a repeat against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 NFL kickoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Thursday’s game will air on NBC, which will also be broadcasting the Super Bowl next year in Santa Clara, Calif. So while the game will look and feel familiar to Sunday Night Football viewers, the network is rolling out a couple of new features you might miss if you blink.

“Our telestration presentation will be notably different,” Sunday Night Football coordinating producer Rob Hyland said on a recent episode of the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Cowboys NFL Kickoff game: Live updates

One feature debuting involves the ability of a telestrator controlled by the production team to remove players during a replay, potentially offering a clearer view of a specific action or moment. NBC will also be able to telegraph the path of a player before the snap using its chip data.

NBC also designed a new score bug, but fans won’t see it Thursday.

“That will not be revealed until the playoffs begin,” Hyland said. “It will be part of our Super Bowl presentation.”

Fans who didn’t watch preseason football (you missed nothing) will also be greeted by the NFL’s newest feature — a virtual measurement system using cameras to call close first downs, eliminating the need for the chain gang.

And yes, coaches can still challenge the play, since referees still spot the ball.

Thursday’s NFL kickoff game between the Eagles and Cowboys is scheduled to start at 8:20 p.m. Philadelphia time on NBC.

In and around Philadelphia, Birds fans can watch the game on NBC10 and will be greeted by two familiar voices — Sunday Night Football announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will report from the sidelines at The Linc.

Some Birds fans aren’t fond of Collinsworth, a grudge that stems from his call of the team’s 2018 Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots. But coming off their blowout victory of the Kansas City Chiefs, he thinks we all may be watching the beginnings of the NFL’s next dynasty, despite the changes on defense.

“You play Philadelphia, and they run it as much as any team in the league. And until you stop Saquon Barkley, you don’t have to worry about much of anything else,” Collinsworth said during a recent conference call. “And then when you do, then you load up and you get DeVonta Smith and you get A.J. Brown one-on-one, and teams haven’t been able to stop them, either.”

“There’s a reason they’re world champs,” Collinsworth added.

The game will also air in Spanish on Telemundo.

If you want local flair in your broadcast, you can also listen on 94.1 WIP.

Merrill Reese is back for his 49th season as the voice of the Eagles, the longest-tenured announcer in the NFL. At 83 and coming off a knee replacement, Reese had no intention of riding off into the sunset following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. In fact, he signed a contract extension in the spring that will keep him in the booth for the next few years.

“When people say, ‘How long do you want to do it?’ I tell them forever,” Reese told The Inquirer.

At this point, there’s just one stadium where Reese hasn’t called an Eagles game — Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which opened in 2020. The Eagles face the Raiders in Week 15, but the game will be at the Linc. But at least one game on the Eagles’ schedule jumped out to Reese.

“How would you like to spend the final Sunday of December in Buffalo?” Reese said, pointing to the Eagles’ Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. “It’s not the stadium that’s so bad, it’s the climate.”

Joining Reese in the booth for the 28th season is former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick. WIP host Devan Kaney returns to handle sideline reporting duties after replacing Howard Eskin at the end of last season.

Rickie Ricardo, Oscar Budejen, and Bill Kulik will call the game in Spanish on La Mega 105.7 FM in Philadelphia, 93.9 FM in Atlantic City, and 103.3 FM in Vineland/Millville.

Both radio broadcasts can be streamed from anywhere in the country on the Eagles’ website, while fans in Philly can also stream them on the Eagles app.

For those outside the region, fans will hear a familiar voice on Westwood One — Ross Tucker, the Eagles’ preseason announcer, will call the game alongside Kevin Harlan.

The game will stream on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

It will also stream on any so-called skinny bundle that carries NBC, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. Most offer a free trial.

Fans can also stream the game on NFL+, the league streaming service. It’ll set you back $6.99 a month, though there is a free seven-day trial.

If you’re looking to watch the game for free and live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is using a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television.

Staff writers Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, and Jeff Neiburg will be covering the action live on Inquirer.com.

Notes and observations about the game can be found at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.

With the Eagles playing on Thursday, here are the NFL games that will air on TV in Philadelphia on Sunday and Monday:

The Birds have a Week 2 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead at 4:25 p.m. on Fox.

Tom Brady is back in the booth for his second season with Fox alongside Kevin Burkhardt, who grew up an Eagles fans in North Jersey.

Here’s the Eagles’ complete 2025 schedule: