November 28, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, 16, takes a bite of John Madden MVP turkey with his teammates after defeating the Chicago Bears in a Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Image According to multiple media reports, the NFL is exploring new vacation properties to potentially add a Thanksgiving Eve game as early as the 2026 season.
A Wednesday, November 25 time slot was discussed as the league continues to look for additional standalone broadcast periods during the most important week on the calendar.
It’s easy to track your exercise. The NFL’s recent efforts to go beyond the traditional schedule have been rewarded with big numbers, including an increase in Black Friday viewership. Last season, Bears-Eagles games on Amazon Prime Video averaged 16.33 million viewers.
Commissioner Roger Goodell also said the league has discussed adding a second Black Friday game.
“Every offseason, we explore new opportunities to best serve our fans during the scheduling process,” an NFL spokesperson said Wednesday. “As Commissioner Goodell said, Thanksgiving and NFL football have become synonymous, and with fan interest in Thanksgiving and Black Friday games continuing to grow, it is exciting for us to explore additional opportunities related to these special holidays.”
Thanksgiving itself remains a ratings cheat code for the league. Last season’s three games averaged 44.7 million viewers, and the late afternoon Chiefs-Cowboys matchup drew an NFL regular season record 57.2 million viewers.
If Wednesday’s game is played, the team will likely have to sit out the previous week, but for the NFL, it’s another opportunity to turn the holiday weekend into a bigger broadcast event.
–Field level media
