NFL Kicking Off Season With Big Events, Print Coverage Galore

The NFL regular season kicks off tonight with the Packers-Seahawks game, preceded by Gameday Village in Seattle's Pioneer Square from 10:00am-5:15pm PT. The event features "an autograph stage with NFL legends, a zone geared toward kids and an array of interactive opportunities for fans." At 4:30pm, Pharrell Williams and Soundgarden "will perform from a stage in the north lot" at CenturyLink Field (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/4). This comes after CenturyLink Field yesterday hosted a "showcase of tech gear and apps for fans, teams and others in the business of pro football" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 9/3).

USA Today runs a 14-page NFL preview section, with ads from league partners Xbox One, Visa, Verizon, Bridgestone and Lenovo, plus an ad from the league promoting NBC's live coverage of tonight's game and concert. The paper also features a tease of the preview section in the top banner area on Page One. The Seattle Times' front page features a Seahawks story above the fold and a Gameday Village image. The Green Bay Press Gazette front page features an NFL-themed top banner and a story on Packers fans in Seattle.

Medical technology brand and Seahawks sponsor Virginia Mason runs a full-page ad in the N.Y. Times: "Football season starts tonight, and Seattle would like to announce our first win" (THE DAILY).