The NFL normally gets what it wants.
But the league’s latest attempt to maximize $20 billion in profit might be going too far.
GettyThursday Night Football has big names but has long been controversial for teams[/caption]
NFL owners are set to vote Monday on a major change to the future TV schedule, according to the Sports Business Journal.
If approved, the teams on “Thursday Night Football” could be swapped out with only 21 days notice required.
Thursday games have long been controversial, with players, coaches and teams bringing up health, injury and rest issues due to a compacted playing schedule.
But one of the biggest problems now involves fans, who can purchase tickets for a scheduled game months in advance, only to see the date for the game changed weeks before.
That announcement time would be squeezed down to just 21 days if the TNF ‘flex’ vote passes.
“Horrible treatment to fans that book travel for games,” one fan tweeted.
“Such bull***,” a second fan posted. “I fly in for games from Canada and book well in advance.”
“The league is getting too greedy,” a third fan wrote.
“Get rid of Thursday Night games altogether!” a fourth fan said. “Change them to Friday nights — at least to give them the extra day.”
The initial vote for TNF flexing was internally controversial, according to SBJ.
GettyBo Nix’s Broncos were bumped to TNF last season[/caption]
Last year, a scheduled game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns on Thursday night was swapped out for Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.
While only two TNF flexes are currently allowed per season and the swaps must occur between Weeks 13 and 17, the late notice can affect thousands of fans who have already paid for tickets, airfare, hotels, rental cars, reservations and more.
“Inconvenient for people who plan vacations for their favorite teams once a year,” a fan tweeted.
The ‘flex’ option can be a win on TV because it removes ‘bad’ games from prime time weekly showings on Thursday Night Football, which is streamed internationally by Amazon Prime.
But season-ticket holders and traveling fans form the core of the NFL’s most loyal supporters, and millions of dollars could be lost with major scheduling changes announced just weeks before a game is played.
While the NFL examines its 2025 TV plans, the NFL Draft is less than a month away.
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Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?
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Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are the biggest names in the draft.
The 2025 NFL schedule, which will feature seven international games — including three in London — is expected to be released in May.
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