The NFL Kickoff Game is the league's season-opening spectacle, traditionally played on the Thursday after Labor Day in early September, featuring a pregame concert alongside the football action. Introduced in 2002 to help boost economic recovery in New York and Washington after 9/11, the event generated $1.9 billion in sponsorships and is now broadcast on NBC as part of Sunday Night Football. Typically hosted by the defending Super Bowl champion, notable exceptions occurred in 2013 (Baltimore Ravens) and 2019, when the NFL celebrated its 100th season with a Packers-Bears matchup instead. The tradition has deep historical roots, echoing the Chicago All-Star Game (1934–1976) and the 1950 "World Series of Pro Football" between the Eagles and Browns, which drew 71,000 fans. Home teams hold an impressive 18–6 record, and defending champions are 17–4, with the Giants, Ravens, Patriots, Rams, and Chiefs being the only losers—the Giants notably the only home team to lose twice.