Mike Florio ,
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Yes, the NFL will keep looking for ways to stuff more cheese into the pizza crust. And more cash into the coffers.
Via Sam Neumann of AwfulAnnouncing.com, Commissioner Roger Goodell recently told Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal that the NFL is considering adding a second Black Friday game , among other potential schedule changes.
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 prohibits the NFL from televising games on Saturdays or after 6:00 p.m. ET on Fridays from the second weekend in September through the second weekend in December. That was the quid pro quo for the extremely valuable broadcast antitrust exemption.
Under current federal law, a consecutive Black Friday doubleheader would have to be completed by 6:00 p.m. ET. The first game would have to start by noon ET, at the latest.
An overlapping doubleheader could have one game start at 1:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. ET, with the second kicking off at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Then there’s the possibility of working the current Congress and administration for an expanded exception to the SBA. How much would a Black Friday night game hurt high-school football? By late November, every state has made it to the postseason. Folks can attend the local playoff game while monitoring the NFL game on their phones.
Alternatively, the NFL could swing for the fences and try to get rid of the Friday/Saturday prohibition entirely, unlocking the possibility for Friday night and Saturday night games on a regular basis.
Regardless, it’s clear that the NFL wants more standalone windows. It’s still surprising that the league has yet to make Tuesday and/or Wednesday night football a thing, especially after the pandemic showed that such games can be scheduled.
At some point, the Sunday afternoon packages would become excessively diluted. That problem can be solved with expansion. Which feels increasingly inevitable.
One thing is certain. People like to watch football. Many would watch a game every night of the week. It’s foolish not to think the league would love to let us.
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