A breakdown of subscription plans, costs and why Peacock has become a must-have streaming service for sports fans over the past couple years.

The NFL season kicks off tonight as the Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.

Both ESPN and Fox have launched direct-to-consumer streaming services that give fans new options outside of the usual bundles. On top of that, platforms like Fubo and Sling are offering slimmer packages that cover most -- though not all -- of the channels needed to catch every matchup week after week.

Over 17.3 million football fans watched the exclusive NFL broadcast on YouTube TV last Friday, according to Google (via Variety ). Millions tuned in on the streaming platform to watch the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Kansas City Chiefs (27-21), which was broadcast by YouTube for free.