On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills played their first regular-season game at the new $2.1-billion Highmark Stadium, which replaced the old stadium beloved by fans but demolished earlier this year. Many longtime supporters like Montreal’s Jason Kouri expressed initial reservations about the change but were won over upon seeing the new features such as improved sightlines, a large scoreboard, and amenities designed to enhance fan experience in harsh weather conditions. The article highlights how Canadians, who hold an estimated 8,000 tickets, contribute significantly to the Bills' top NFL fandom ranking according to Nielsen research.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
bet365 Sportsbook is offering new users a promotion where betting $10 on the upcoming Thursday Night Football matchup between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills can earn them $365 in bonus bets, regardless of whether their initial bet wins or loses. This offer is available only to users located in states where online sports betting is legal, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Michigan.
The game features high-scoring offenses from both teams: the Bills with quarterback Josh Allen leading them after a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions in their last meeting, and the Lions looking to rebound following an overtime loss to the Saints. The Bills are favored by 4.5 points, with a total point spread of 53.5 points.
Additionally, other sportsbooks like FanDuel, BetMGM, and theScore Bet offer various bonuses ranging from $100 to $1,500 in bonus bets depending on the initial wager amount and whether it wins or loses. For instance, FanDuel offers a $350 bonus bet if one point is scored by either team.
These promotions aim to attract new users and enhance user engagement ahead of the highly anticipated game, which marks the grand opening of Highmark Stadium for the Bills. Users must sign up and use specific promo codes like "FOXNEWS" for Betr to claim their bonuses.
Written for “Bills vs Lions Thursday Night Football” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 21 other(s) covering the same event.
BUFFALO, N.Y.—On a night where tens of thousands of football fans walked into their new home for the first time, many felt the need to say goodbye to their old one first.
asserted
many → walk → one
Before the Buffalo Bills played Thursday night’s home opener against the Detroit Lions, many fans flocked toward a massive pile of rubble that was tucked inside a black gate across the street.
asserted
that → play → street
The place where generations of Bills fans had gathered to watch their favourite team now looked like a dump, filled with mounds of crushed concrete and debris, save for the giant scoreboard left standing in the back.
asserted
generations → gather → back
After a few moments of reminiscing, they only had to turn their heads to see the $2.1-billion (U.S.) behemoth of a stadium built to replace it.
asserted
they → reminisce → it
Jason Kouri, a longtime season-ticket holder from Montreal, wasn’t sold on the Bills tearing down the Highmark Stadium at first.
asserted
Bills → sell → Stadium
“In my eyes, the old stadium did the job.
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stadium → do → job
Everything was great,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
But when he saw it up close on Wednesday night, that opinion quickly changed.
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opinion → see → night
“We were walking around and saw the big bison in front and the lights.
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We → walk → front
We heard the sound check last night.
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We → hear → check
The music was pounding.
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music → pound → ?
We’re like, ‘OK, now we’re excited to go see this.’”
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we → ’re → this
The first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium had been anticipated since the project was officially announced in 2022.
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project → anticipate → 2022
While there were some early speed bumps during trial runs this pre-season — some fans complained about sightlines blocked by railings and the new grass field had to be resodded after divots were exposed — fans were thrilled to be getting a look inside.
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fans → be → look
There’s the 20-foot broken table, a tribute to the Bills Mafia faithful, and the skyline deck, which offers sightlines to downtown Buffalo.
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which → ’ → Buffalo
And it has the world’s largest snowmelt system, designed to combat winter storms that have caused problems on game days in the past.
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that → have → past
“There’s even an escalator up to our seats,” said Toronto native Danielle Giordano.
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Giordano → ’ → seats
The escalator helps with the new vertical seating arrangement designed to get fans closer to the field, while the canopy overtop not only shields fans from snow, it also projects the noise directly back onto the field in an effort to further disrupt opposing offences.
asserted
it → help → offences
“We’re going for world record,” said Montrealer Marie-Elaine Guitard, who travelled with Kouri.
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who → go → Kouri
She said Bills fans are determined to beat the Guinness world record for loudest crowd noise at a sports stadium, which was set at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the rival Kansas City Chiefs, in 2014.
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which → say → 2014
“This stadium was built for that.”
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stadium → build → that
Volume has never been a problem in Buffalo, where a passionate fan base called the Bills Mafia is known for its unparalleled devotion to a team that has never won a Super Bowl.
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that → call → Bowl
According to Neilson, a global market research firm, the Bills rank No. 1 on the NFL fandom index, based on eight factors including live attendance, merchandise sales and TV viewership.
uncertain
Bills → accord → attendance
Canadians, who owned an estimated 8,000 Bills tickets last season, are part of why the team earned that ranking — and the organization appears to know it.
asserted
organization → own → it
On a night where an American football team was christening its new home, there was a major emphasis on the team’s fans north of the border.
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team → christen → border
It started Thursday morning, when former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Stevie Johnson played a game of catch from separate ferries on the Niagara River, one on each side of the Canada-U. S. border.
And it continued inside Highmark Stadium before kickoff, when the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies came out to thunderous cheers before singing “O Canada” as many in the crowd joined them.
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many → start → them
Bhav Kirat, who travelled from Vancouver to see the Bills, was one of them.
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who → travel → them
“We’ve been singing the Canadian anthem since we were in kindergarten,” he said.
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he → sing → kindergarten
“This is one we’ll never forget.”
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we → forget → ?
Brampton native Joshua Palmer, a wide receiver for the Bills, was seen wiping tears from his eyes as the anthem played.
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anthem → see → eyes
Not long after, the 26-year-old caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Allen, adding another Canadian element to the home opener.
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old → catch → opener
The team played regular-season games at Rogers Centre in Toronto from 2008 to 2013.
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team → play → 2013
They held annual fan appreciation nights under late owner Ralph Wilson, but those stopped 20 years ago.
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those → hold → Wilson
Now, following a new partnership with MLSE that was announced in 2025, the Bills are putting a renewed emphasis on the relationship.
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Bills → follow → relationship
At a time when tensions are high between Canada and the U.S. amid an ongoing trade war, the acknowledgment from both the city of Buffalo and the Bills organization means a lot to Canadian fans.
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acknowledgment → mean → fans
“We’ve only ever had (Americans) come up and say like, ‘We’re so sorry,’” said Laura Meehan from Kingston.
asserted
Meehan → have → Kingston
“We love it here, everyone’s so nice and lovely.”
asserted
everyone → love → it
Buffalo native Harry Kelly has been cooking burgers and hot dogs at Bills tailgates for 38 years.
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Kelly → cook → years
Before the home opener, he pulled his Canada flag out of storage and set it up beside his shop.
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he → pull → shop
He was thrilled that his hometown team was embracing its neighbours to the north.
asserted
team → thrill → north
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
