What Time Do NFL Games Start?
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It’s time to start gearing up for another exciting season of NFL football! But when exactly do the games start? Check out our blog post to find out!
NFL Games Start at Different Times Depending on the Day
The NFL regular season typically starts on the first Thursday of September and ends on the first Sunday of December. However, the start times for NFL games vary depending on the day of the week.
Sunday NFL Games
Most NFL games are played on Sundays, with a handful of Saturday and Monday night games sprinkled in. The NFL usually releases the schedule for the upcoming season in April, and the regular season typically kicks off in early September and runs through late December or early January.
During the regular season, there are usually four games played on Sundays at 1 p.m. ET, four games at 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET, and one game at 8:20 p.m. ET. The specific start times for Sunday games are announced when the NFL schedule is released in the spring.
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is an American institution. It’s the night when families gather around the television to watch their favorite team play. The game started in 1970 and has been a staple of fall programming ever since.
So what time does Monday Night Football start? The answer is, it depends on the day. The game usually starts at 8:15 p.m. ET, but if it falls on a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, the start time will be moved up to 7:00 p.m. ET.
The reason for the change is simple – people have other things to do on holidays and they can’t always stay up late to watch a football game. By moving the start time up, more people can enjoy the game and still have time for other holiday activities.
Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night Football usually starts at 8:20 p.m. ET, but the start time can vary depending on the week.
The NFL schedule is released in April, and the Thursday Night Football schedule is usually announced in May or June.
NFL Games Start at Different Times Depending on the Location
The NFL season is upon us and that means it’s time to start planning our Sundays around football. But one question always comes up: what time do NFL games start? The answer is that it depends on the location of the game.
Early Games
The National Football League (NFL) schedule for the 2020 season was released on May 7, 2020. Per usual, the NFL schedule release includes each team’s home and away opponents, as well as which games will be played on Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football.
The first NFL game of the 2020 season will be between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The game is scheduled to start at 7:20 p.m. CST on Thursday, September 10th.
The remaining 15 games for Week 1 are scheduled to start at either 1 p.m. or 4:05 p.m. EST on Sunday, September 13th.
Late Games
The start time for NFL games depends on the location of the game. Late games (4:05 PM ET or later) are typically played in the Pacific or Mountain Time Zones, while early games (1:00 PM ET or earlier) are usually played in the Eastern or Central Time Zones. There are also some exceptions, such as when a team is playing in London or Mexico City.
NFL Games Start at Different Times Depending on the Network
NFL games air on multiple networks throughout the country. The start times for these games vary depending on the network. Here is a look at the start times for NFL games on each network.
National Games
The vast majority of NFL games are played on Sundays. For those games, the start times are usually 1 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET (there is also a primetime game at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday nights). Some early-season games and all playoff games are played on Saturday or Sunday nights, with start times of 8:20 p.m. ET or 8:00 p.m. ET, respectively.
There are also a handful of Monday night games and a few Thursday night games throughout the season (not including Thanksgiving). Monday night games typically start at 8:15 p.m. ET, while Thursday night games usually start at either 8:20 p.m. ET or 8:00 p.m. ET (there is also a Thanksgiving game that starts at 4:30 p.m. ET).
Local Games
The starting time for local games can be affected by a number of factors, including the weather and traffic conditions in the area. If you’re trying to catch a game that’s being played in your local market, it’s best to check with your local television listings or the website of your favorite team to find out when the game will start.
