The NFL has reigned supreme when it comes to viewership and following. It has become and maintained as America’s favorite sport, with an economy and business far bigger than what the NBA or MLB dream to be. And instead of just owning Sundays and Mondays, the league has attempted to expand in recent years by playing games on different days of the week, and there might be yet another wrinkle for the upcoming 2024 season.
NFL Hoping To Play On Christmas Yet Again
Source to @NFLonCBS: The NFL plans to play on Christmas Day again in 2024, even though the holiday falls on a Wednesday. This is a reversal of the league’s previous stance. Christmas Day games draw massive TV ratings. @andrewlbeaton first on the report.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 26, 2024
Expansion is something that the league has long been interested in. But instead of adding new franchises and cities, the NFL has instead attempted to expand both its borders and its schedule, and will be making interesting decisions this coming season when it comes to both.
When it comes to international expansion, the league will be holding a Week 1 game is Brazil this season, the first time an NFL game has been played in South America. The game will be played on a Friday night, a very rare occurrence, as contests are typically held on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays (and sometimes Saturdays), but that isn’t the only “new” day of the week that the league is looking to expand to.
According to a report by Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, the NFL is planning on having games on Christmas again this year, despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday in 2024.
Could The League Pull Off Wednesday Games?
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: The #NFL plans to have games on Christmas this year despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday, per @andrewlbeaton pic.twitter.com/uxFes52sI0
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 26, 2024
The interest in the new day of the week likely stems from the league’s ability to “own” the sports landscape this past holiday season. December 24th, 2023 fell on a Sunday, meaning that NFL fans had a full slate of football games during their festivities ahead of the actual holiday. But they capitalized by scheduling three games on the Monday, Christmas Day, and the ratings blew the NBA out of the water when basketball typically runs that particular afternoon.
The game would likely be played between two teams that played on a Saturday the previous week. Thursday games are a short enough turn-around, and forcing players to play after just two days of rest would be far tougher.
It is unclear which two teams will meet during the holiday, as the official NFL schedule won’t be released until some time in May.
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