When Did The Nfl Start Playing Thursday Night Games?
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The NFL has been playing Thursday night games since 2006, but the tradition actually dates back much further. Thursday night football first started in the 1930s as a way to promote interest in the game.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) began playing games on Thursday nights during the 2006 season. The league continued to experiment with the scheduling of Thursday night games over the next several years, but it wasn’t until 2012 that Thursday night football became a regular feature of the NFL schedule.
Since 2012, every team in the NFL has played at least one Thursday night game during the regular season. In recent years, the NFL has also begun broadcasting a handful of regular season games on Thursdays on its own cable network, the NFL Network.
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football Package
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football Package
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football Package is a live NFL game that is broadcast on Thursday nights during the NFL season. The games are produced by NFL Network, and they are typically simulcast on local television networks in the primary markets of the two teams playing.
The package began in 2006 as an eight-game schedule that was mostly made up of late-season games, but it has since expanded to include a full slate of 16 games over the course of 17 weeks. The Thursday Night Football Package is now a key part of the NFL’s overall primetime strategy, which also includes Sunday Night Football on NBC and Monday Night Football on ESPN.
How the NFL’s Thursday Night Football Package Works
In 2006, the NFL introduced a primetime Thursday night game in an effort to broaden its appeal and to take advantage of the growing popularity of high-definition television. The game, which is typically aired on NBC, features one AFC team playing against one NFC team.
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football package has been hugely successful, with ratings consistently outpacing those of other primetime programming. In fact, the ratings for Thursday Night Football games have been so strong that in 2012, the NFL decided to expand the package to include games on Fridays and Saturdays during the playoffs.
Not everyone is a fan of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package, however. Some criticize the quality of play, citing the fact that teams often have just four days to prepare for their opponents. Others argue that the games are simply too much football and that they take away from the traditional Sunday experience.
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football Schedule
The NFL started playing Thursday Night Football games in 2006. The games are typically played on Thursdays, but occasionally they are played on Saturdays or Mondays. Thursday Night Football is a great way for NFL fans to get their fix during the week.
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football Schedule
The NFL has been playing games on Thursday nights for a few years now, but the league has recently gotten more serious about making Thursday Night Football a regular part of the schedule. In 2012, the NFL added an additional 16 games to the Thursday night schedule, and in 2013, they added another 8 games. This means that there are now 24 regular season games played on Thursdays, which is up from the 4 games that were played in 2006.
The NFL’s Thursday Night Football schedule is divided into two parts: The first part of the season features mostly divisional match-ups, while the second half features mostly conference match-ups. The NFL has said that they want to keep the Thursday Night Football games exciting, so they try to schedule “marquee” match-ups in the second half of the season. Some of the most highly anticipated match-ups in recent years have included Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos taking on Tom Brady’s New England Patriots, and Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers taking on Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints.
How the NFL’s Thursday Night Football Schedule Works
Thursday Night Football got its start in 2006 as a way for the NFL to showcase some of its best teams in primetime on a night that didn’t already have a full slate of games. The concept caught on, and by 2012, Thursday Night Football had become a regular part of the NFL season.
Now, each Thursday night during the NFL season (excluding Thanksgiving), one game is played at 8:20 p.m. ET on either NBC, NFL Network, or both. The games are also simulcast on Amazon Prime Video in select markets.
The Thursday Night Football schedule is typically released in April or May, but it is subject to change due to flex scheduling. Flex scheduling is when the NFL moves games from their originally scheduled day and time in order to showcase better match-ups on primetime television.
The NFL has used flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football since 2014. In recent years, the league has announced which game will be played on Thursday night as late as 12 days before kickoff. So if you’re planning to watch Thursday Night Football, be sure to check the schedule closer to the date of the game.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NFL began playing Thursday night games in 2006 in order to increase viewership and profits. The games are typically aired on CBS, NBC, and the NFL Network, and feature two teams from different divisions. While some fans enjoy the Thursday night games, others feel that they detract from the traditional Sunday experience.
