Bills vs Ravens Week 1: Start time, TV channel, streaming, and what to watch

A prime-time opener with MVP star power

NBC slotted Buffalo–Baltimore into the Sunday night window for Week 1 for a reason: two MVP-caliber quarterbacks, a bruising new back, and two franchises that judge themselves by January, not September. The Bills vs Ravens matchup at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park brings Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson back under the lights, with Buffalo’s high-tempo attack meeting Baltimore’s downhill-and-explosive run game.

Kickoff was scheduled for Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 5:20 p.m. ET, an unusual but welcome early-evening national showcase. It’s a heavyweight AFC opener: Allen headlining an offense that can stretch the field and punish in the red zone, and Jackson piloting Todd Monken’s scheme with the added thunder of Derrick Henry. The crowd at Highmark typically acts like a third phase, and a prime-time opener only turns the volume up.

Both teams entered the season expecting to be in the playoff mix—nothing new there. Buffalo has built around Allen’s big-play arm and designed run game, leaning on tight end Dalton Kincaid and a reworked receiver room while keeping James Cook involved on the ground. Baltimore counters with Jackson’s quick-trigger processing and legs, Henry’s late-game wear-down effect, and a pass game that features Zay Flowers in space and Mark Andrews winning the middle.

How to watch, stream, and follow

Here’s your quick guide to catch the game live:

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025
• Kickoff time: 5:20 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC (Sunday Night Football)
• Streaming: Peacock (premium subscription) and the NBC Sports app (TV provider sign-in required)
• Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.
• Radio: Local market radio coverage available in Buffalo and Baltimore

Watching on TV is straightforward—NBC carries the national broadcast. If you’re cutting the cord, you have two digital routes. Peacock’s premium service streams the broadcast live. The NBC Sports app also offers a live stream, but you’ll need to sign in with your TV provider credentials. You can stream on most connected devices: smart TVs, streaming sticks, game consoles, tablets, and phones. If you can pull in NBC over the air with an antenna, the game is available that way, too.

Traveling or away from your usual setup? Log in to your Peacock account wherever you are, or use the NBC Sports app if you have a pay-TV login. Local radio coverage in both markets gives you another way to follow along if you’re on the road or juggling errands during the first half.

Expect pregame chatter centered on quarterback usage and early-game tempo. Baltimore typically scripts early plays that stress the edges with Jackson’s legs and motion; Buffalo often tests deep early to force safeties back, then leans into Allen’s quick game to control rhythm. If either team lands an explosive play in the opening two drives, it could set the tone for the night.

On the field, start with the headliners. Allen’s chemistry with Kincaid and his revamped receiver group is the hinge for Buffalo’s offense. Without the old vertical duo that defined past seasons, Buffalo has pivoted to spacing, YAC, and option routes that keep Allen on schedule—then unleashes his off-script magic when the pocket bends. James Cook’s touches, especially on angle routes and screens, are a barometer for how comfortable Buffalo is against Baltimore’s front.

For the Ravens, Jackson’s decision-making in the RPO and play-action game remains the engine, while Henry gives Baltimore a different closing gear. If the Ravens carry a one-score lead into the fourth quarter, Henry’s workload tends to climb, and those four-yard runs turn into sixes and sevens. Zay Flowers gives Jackson a quick-hitting outlet on bubbles and crossers, and Andrews presents the matchup problem on third down that every defense hates.

The trenches might decide it. Buffalo’s front, coached by Sean McDermott, has to win early downs to make Baltimore play left-handed. Greg Rousseau’s length on the edge and interior disruption on stunts are key to forcing third-and-longs, where Allen can flip the field back quickly. For Baltimore, new-look defensive leadership has leaned on disguise and rotations—Kyle Hamilton’s versatility lets the Ravens show blitz and bail, or invert coverages post-snap to bait throws back inside.

Then there’s situational football. Third-and-manageable for Allen means the full playbook—including designed QB runs on short yardage. Red-zone efficiency often defines Buffalo’s ceiling; empty trips turn into trouble against a Ravens team built to grind. Conversely, if Jackson and Henry are living in second-and-five, the Ravens can take selective deep shots off play-action to Flowers or stack Andrews on option routes against leverage.

Special teams loom large in Orchard Park. Field position matters in a stadium where wind can swirl without warning. Justin Tucker’s range changes Baltimore’s calculus on the plus side of the field, and Buffalo’s kicking game has to answer by cashing drives with sevens, not threes. A hidden yards edge on returns or a coverage bust can swing a tight opener.

One wildcard: tempo. If Buffalo pushes pace after first downs and traps Baltimore in personnel, the Ravens will counter by substituting at the first chance or using simulated pressures to steal a negative play. If the Ravens slow it down and stack 10–12 play marches, the Bills need early-drive stops to avoid a possession squeeze.

Finally, the human stuff. Week 1 brings adrenaline and rust in equal measure. Timing can be a tick off. Tackling is usually a half-step late in the open field. The team that settles faster—fewer penalties, cleaner substitutions, smarter situational choices—usually owns the first quarter of the season. In a prime-time opener between two contenders, that margin is often the difference between a statement and a scramble.