The NFL has made a surprising announcement that it will play two games on Christmas Day this year, despite previously stating that it would not play on Christmas when it falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday. However, the league decided not to play on the night before Christmas, December 24.
Despite the fact that playing a Tuesday night game was feasible, the NFL opted not to do so. The league has a large and dedicated audience as evidenced by the significant viewership numbers for Christmas Day games in prior years. Last year, a Patriots-Broncos game drew 10.21 million viewers on NFL Network while Raiders-Steelers averaged 10.94 million viewers on the same network in previous years.
The decision not to have a game on Tuesday, December 24 raises questions about why the league chose not to play on Christmas Eve, as the potential audience size may not have justified the effort. If the viewership numbers were higher in previous years, the NFL might have found a way to schedule a game on December 24th.
Ultimately, however, this decision may have been based on factors such as audience size and logistical challenges. Nevertheless, the NFL’s ability to play games on Christmas Day when it falls mid-week raises questions about why playing on December 24th was not considered feasible. Nonetheless, fans are eagerly waiting for the upcoming games and are looking forward to seeing their favorite teams battle it out once again!
