Why Are NFL Games on Saturday?

It’s a question that’s been asked for years: Why are NFL games on Saturday? We take a look at the history of NFL games on Saturday and why they continue to this day.

History

The NFL has a long and storied history of playing games on Saturday. It all started back in the early days of the league, when games were played on Saturday because that was the only day that most people had off from work. The league continued to play games on Saturday during the regular season, but eventually moved some of the games to Sunday afternoon.

The NFL’s first Saturday game

On December 21, 1963, the NFL played its first regular-season game on a Saturday. The New York Giants hosted the Chicago Bears at Yankee Stadium, with the Giants winning 14-10.

The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, December 22, but was moved to Saturday to avoid conflicting with the Kennedy funeral. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated four days earlier.

The NFL continued to schedule games on Saturdays through 1977, before moving them to Sundays. In 2006, the NFL began playing games on Saturday nights again as part of its “NFL Prime Time” package on NBC.

The NFL’s Saturday games in the 1950s

The NFL’s Saturday games in the 1950s were instated to increase the popularity of the sport. At the time, college football was more popular than professional football. The NFL hoped that by holding games on Saturdays, more people would be exposed to the sport and become fans.

The strategy worked, and by the 1960s, professional football had eclipsed college football in popularity. Today, Saturday NFL games are a tradition that fans look forward to all season long.

The NFL’s Saturday games in the 1960s

The NFL’s first Saturday games were played in the 1960s. The league wanted to compete with college football, which was hugely popular at the time. The NFL thought that playing games on Saturday would give them a larger audience.

The experiment was not a success. Ratings for the games were poor, and fans did not seem interested in watching them. The NFL eventually gave up on Saturday games and stopped playing them altogether.

In recent years, however, the league has begun to experiment with playing games on Saturday again. The results have been mixed, but there is still some interest in having NFL games on Saturdays.

Television

There are several reasons why the NFL schedules games on Saturday. One reason is that it’s a day when most people are home and available to watch. Additionally, it’s a day when there are fewer college and professional basketball and hockey games competing for attention. Saturday also tends to draw a more family-oriented audience than Sunday, which is why many NFL game telecasts include features and segments geared toward kids and parents.

The NFL’s television partners

The NFL’s television partners are CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Network. These networks air NFL games on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

The NFL has partnerships with several major networks in order to air its games. CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Network all have agreements with the league that allow them to broadcast games. These networks typically air games on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

The NFL’s TV partners are some of the most well-known networks in the country. CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Network all have agreements with the league that allow them to broadcast games. These networks typically air NFL games on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

The NFL’s Saturday games on television

The National Football League’s (NFL) decision to televise games on Saturday evenings during the NFL season has been a controversial one. Some fans love it, while others believe that it takes away from the traditional Sunday afternoon slate of games.

The NFL has defended their decision, saying that Saturday games allow them to reach a wider audience. They also believe that it gives fans more opportunities to watch their favorite teams play.

Critics of the NFL’s Saturday games say that it hurts attendance at stadium games and that it takes away from the game’s excitement when it is played on a weekday evening.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual fan to decide whether they want to watch NFL games on Saturday evenings. Those who do choose to watch will be treated to some great football action.

College Football

For most of college football’s history, the game was played on Saturdays. That changed in the 1950s when television broadcasts of NFL games began to take off. The NFL started to realize that having their games on Saturday night was cutting into college football’s ratings. So, the NFL began to schedule some of their games on Saturday afternoon instead.

The NFL’s competition with college football

Since the 1950s, the NFL has been locked in a battle with college football for supremacy on fall Saturday afternoons. In an effort to stay ahead of their competitor, the NFL has increasingly shifted its games to Saturday evenings. This has had the effect of reducing college football’s ratings and, as a result, its value to television networks.

The NFL’s interest in taking over Saturday evenings is twofold. First, it is a period of time when there are no other major professional sports competing for viewers. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it is a time when there are no major college football games being played. By contrast, Monday Night Football airs in direct competition with both the NBA and NHL.

The NFL’s strategy appears to be working. In recent years, college football’s ratings have declined while the NFL’s have remained steady or increased. This has led to fewer college football games being aired on Saturdays and more being moved to other days of the week.

The NFL’s Saturday games and college football

The National Football League’s (NFL) decision to play games on Saturday during the college football season has been a controversial one. Some argue that the NFL is taking away from the college game, while others believe that it is benefits both levels of play. Let’s take a closer look at this issue.

The NFL’s Saturday games are typically played in the afternoon, while most college football games are played in the evening. This means that there is little direct competition between the two for viewers. In fact, many people watch both college football and the NFL on Saturday.

There are some who believe that the NFL’s presence on Saturday hurts attendance at college football games. However, studies have shown that this is not the case. In fact, attendance at college football games has actually increased in recent years, despite the NFL’s presence on Saturdays.

So why does the NFL play games on Saturday? There are a few reasons. First, it allows them to reach a different audience than they would on Sundays. Second, it gives them an opportunity to showcase their product to a captive audience of diehard football fans (who are also more likely to be potential customers). Finally, it helps them to avoid going head-to-head with major college football bowl games, which often attract large audiences.

In conclusion, there is no evidence that the NFL’s presence on Saturdays has had a negative impact on college football. If anything, it has likely had a positive impact by exposing more people to both levels of play.

Conclusion

The NFL has not always played games on Saturday, but the league has consistently done so since the 1970s. There are several reasons for this, including the fact that it is typically easier for fans to attend games on Saturday than on Sunday. Additionally, Saturday games allow the NFL to avoid going head-to-head with college football, which is typically played on Saturday afternoon. Finally, playing games on Saturday makes it easier for the NFL to televise its games, as there are fewer competing programming options on Saturday than on Sunday.