The NFL plans to schedule games on Christmas Day for the 2024 season, even though the holiday falls on a Wednesday.
Back in December, NFL officials told The Wall Street Journal they wouldn’t host Christmas games if the occasion fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The league reversed course this week, according to multiple reports.
Last season’s Christmas Day games dominated the airwaves, with each of the NFL’s three matchups averaging more than 27 million viewers.
The Journal reported that teams with Christmas games will also play on the preceding Saturday instead of Sunday to allow for an extra day of rest before the midweek matchup.
The scheduling decision puts the NFL at odds with the NBA, which has historically planned marquee matchups for the winter holiday.
“The NFL has just flat out bodied the NBA out of being the premiere sporting event on Christmas Day,” Barstool host Jeff Lowe wrote on X.
The NBA’s Christmas Day ratings dropped by 23% last year as the league tried to compete with an NFL triple-header. With a Wednesday game on the calendar, Christmas football is a new staple.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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