The NFL is set to establish a new holiday tradition by featuring not one but two nationally televised games on Christmas Day this year, expanding its renowned Thanksgiving festivities. This decision, announced earlier in March, has generated considerable anticipation among fans as the NFL introduces a mid-week holiday game, a rare delight for football aficionados nationwide.
While the NFL has occasionally experimented with Christmas Day games in the past, this year brings a unique and thrilling twist. With Christmas aligning on a Wednesday—a departure from the NFL’s usual game days—the stage is primed for an exceptional mid-week showdown that could inaugurate a fresh annual custom. The statistics speak volumes: post-2024, the NFL will have hosted as many Christmas games in merely two years as it did from 1973 to 2003. This trajectory demands attention and could witness millions of Americans gathering around their TV sets for a yearly gridiron holiday celebration.
Historically, the NFL limited its Christmas appearances to Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—the conventional game days. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were strategically avoided to ensure teams had ample rest and recovery time between matches, consequently minimizing the risk of injuries. Nevertheless, the impressive ratings from the sporadic Christmas Day games underscored their popularity, prompting the NFL to embrace a new era of mid-week matchups, delighting fans and potentially enhancing revenue streams.
Prepare for an NFL-themed Christmas extravaganza, complete with all the festive trimmings! With skyrocketing ratings and unwavering fan enthusiasm, the league is going all out this holiday season—and who knows, perhaps even Santa himself will make a special appearance on the gridiron!
NFL Dominates Holiday TV Viewership
The NFL continues its dominance in television ratings, evident in the exceptional viewership during Christmas 2023. With an average of 29.2 million viewers tuning in, as reported by CBS, the league’s three holiday game broadcasts showcased some of its most popular teams. Viewers were treated to matchups featuring renowned franchises such as the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders, and the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, alongside a special appearance by Taylor Swift.
Nielsen ratings revealed that these games ranked among the top 19 most-watched TV programs of the year. While they may not have reached the heights of the Thanksgiving games, which attracted an average of 33 million viewers and claimed two spots in the top seven TV programs, the Christmas matchups still performed admirably.
Jon Lewis, the founder of Sports Media Watch, shared insights on the future of holiday games, stating, “Forecasting viewership for upcoming holidays is challenging without prior knowledge of the participating teams or time slots. However, I anticipate sustained high viewership in the future, even if we do not replicate the success of last year’s compelling matchups.”
In a notable shift, the NBA, traditionally a dominant force in Christmas sports programming with star-studded matchups, may be losing ground to the NFL on this festive day. The five NBA games played on Christmas in 2023 averaged a mere 2.9 million viewers, a stark 30% drop from their 2022 numbers, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
As the NFL’s popularity continues to soar and captivate households across the US during the holiday season, the league is poised for another successful year of holiday programming, while the NBA strives to reclaim its former status as the premier sports attraction on Christmas Day.
NFL’s Midweek Games: Innovation or Risk?
The NFL’s recent departure from tradition, including games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not only raises questions about annual games potentially disrupting Christmas festivities but also hints at a broader strategy to introduce regular mid-week fixtures.
While this concept is not entirely novel—it was previously suggested by the league, with NBC’s NFL analyst Mike Florio predicting as early as March 2023 that Tuesday and Wednesday night games could become a weekly occurrence within a decade. This shift is supported by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s assertion that short-week games do not heighten injury risks, citing the schedule adjustments made during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Expanding to mid-week programming, in addition to the existing Thursday night broadcasts, means more nationally televised games and potential revenue for the league. The current TV contracts with major networks amount to an astounding \(10 billion annually, and additional games could further bolster the NFL’s financial standing. For perspective, ESPN pays \)2.7 billion for 21 national games, while CBS invests $2.1 billion for only six national games.
Despite the promising financial prospects, doubts linger regarding the success of these mid-week fixtures, especially when compared to the longstanding Thanksgiving games. Matt Lewis expressed skepticism, noting, “Christmas games will not overshadow Thanksgiving anytime soon…Thanksgiving remains a significantly more popular event.”
Therefore, while the NFL may be eyeing another date on the calendar to showcase its product, only time will reveal whether this initiative is a welcomed gift for fans or merely a revenue-driven move by the league.