NFL says it's following fan interest with midweek games - ESPN

This season's Wednesday night opening game might seem like a bold foray for the NFL, playing on a day not traditionally associated with pro football. But fans might need to get used to it.

Increased ratings and the league's focus on holiday seasons might well lead to more games on nontraditional days in the future, NFL officials said Friday.

In addition to the Sept. 9 opener that features a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, there will be a Wednesday night Thanksgiving Eve matchup with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 25.

«Giving more football to NFL fans is only a good thing,» NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder said.

The NFL enjoyed a 10% jump in ratings last season, with the 18.7 million viewers per game representing the second-highest average since the data began being tracked in 1988. That has emboldened the NFL to push the limits of traditional scheduling.

«Every one of our [broadcast] partners was up,» Schroeder said of the 2025 season. «So I think as we look at balancing the collective distribution of our games, we think there's opportunities to build on that in a selective way. And we've seen when we do that, our fans tune in and watch it.»

The NFL can't play on Friday night in Week 1 until 2029 because of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 that prohibits the league from televising games on that evening starting with the second Friday of September. The Friday of Week 1 will be on the second Friday of September again in 2027 and 2028.

Schroeder emphasized that most games are still in the traditional windows when NFL games have historically been played.

«I think you look across the games and the landscape and the