The TV channel may not always be consistent for "Thursday Night Football," but the start time is. The start time won't change at all during the season.
As such, the first game of Week 3 between the Panthers and Texans will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Coverage of the game will be taking place all day on NFL Network, but the official pregame show will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.
MORE: Watch Panthers vs. Texans live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The Panthers enter Thursday night's game as one of seven NFL teams with a 2-0 record. They'll look to be the first to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Texans will be starting rookie quarterback Davis Mills. The third-round rookie made his first NFL appearance in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor and now will have to square off against a Panthers defense that just limited Jameis Winston and the Saints to seven points. Through two games, the Panthers have allowed a league-low 10.5 points per game, so this matchup won't be easy for Mills.
Below is everything to know about the TV schedule for the Panthers vs. Texans Week 3 opener, plus a look at the rest of the NFL schedule for the week.
WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
What time is the NFL game tonight?
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 23
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Panthers vs. Texans will kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET, as will all Thursday night games throughout the 2021 NFL season. There will be a pregame show that begins at 7:30 p.m. on NFL Network and plenty of other coverage ahead of the game as well.
Houston is in the central time zone, so the game will begin at 7:20 p.m. local time at NRG Stadium.
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What channel is Panthers vs. Texans on today?
- TV channel: NFL Network
- Live stream: fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
NFL Network will be the exclusive host of "Thursday Night Football" for the second consecutive week. They will continue to be the exclusive broadcaster of the event through Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season. Then, there will be multiple options with which to view the game.
Fox and NFL Network will simulcast the game together starting in Week 5. That will allow those with basic cable packages to catch the action on Fox. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime will begin streaming the games in Week 5. These three services will carry "Thursday Night Football" through the remainder of the program's season, which comes to an end in Week 17.
Most United States cable providers carry the NFL Network. It also is available via satellite provider DirecTV (channels 212 and 1212) and IPTV providers Verizon FiOS (channels 88 and 588) and Google Fiber (channel 2019).
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NFL live stream for Panthers vs. Texans
NFL Network will be broadcasting the first game of Week 3. As a result, the game will be available to stream live free on the NFL App and Yahoo! Sports App for those with cable/satellite subscriptions.
Meanwhile, cord-cutters will have plenty of options to watch Panthers vs. Texans. They are as follows.
| Streaming option | Cable subscription needed? | Free? | Cost | Free trial? |
| NFL App | No | Yes | - | - |
| Yahoo! Sports App | No | Yes | - | - |
| fuboTV | No | No | $60/month | Yes |
| Hulu Plus Live TV | No | No | $55/month | Yes |
| Sling TV | No | No | $30/month | Yes |
| YouTube TV | No | No | $65/month | Yes |
NFL INJURY UPDATES: Tyrod Taylor
NFL schedule Week 3
The Panthers and Texans will kickstart Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season, as Carolina and Sam Darnold look to improve to 3-0 over Davis Mills and the Texans. There are seven 2-0 teams left standing across the NFL, and two will be facing off in Week 3 — the Buccaneers and Rams. That will be the best game of the week and it will mark Tom Brady's first NFL game played in Los Angeles.
The "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Packers and 49ers looks appetizing as well. The Packers have played poorly against the 49ers in recent years, so Aaron Rodgers and Co. should be motivated for that one.
Below is the full schedule for Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season.
Week 3
- Thursday, Sept. 23
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Panthers at Texans | 8:20 p.m. ET | NFLN |
- Sunday, Sept. 26
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Colts at Titans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Falcons at Giants | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Chargers at Chiefs | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Bengals at Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Bears at Browns | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Ravens at Lions | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Saints at Patriots | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Cardinals at Jaguars | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Washington Football Team at Bills | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Jets at Broncos | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Dolphins at Raiders | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Seahawks at Vikings | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Buccaneers at Rams | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| Packers at 49ers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
- Monday, Sept. 27
| Game | Kickoff time | TV channel |
| Eagles at Cowboys | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
