When Do NFL Saturday Games Start?

Wondering when the NFL Saturday games start? We’ve got you covered with this handy guide that includes all the start times for each game.

Saturday NFL games typically start at

4:05 p.m. ET, but the start time can vary depending on which network is televising the game. If the game is being televised on CBS, it will start at 4:05 p.m. ET. If the game is being televised on FOX, it will start at 4:25 p.m. ET.

1:00 PM ET

The kickoff time for Saturday NFL games is typically 1:00 PM ET. However, there are some exceptions. For example, the Week 16 game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will start at 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, December 21.

4:05 PM ET

The 4:05 p.m. ET start time for Saturday NFL games began in the 2006 NFL season, when the league instituted a new television schedule. The 4:05 p.m. time slot was created to accommodate an additional game on the NFL’s broadcast partners’ schedules.

Saturday games were traditionally played at 1 p.m. ET, but the league wanted to move them to a later time in order to increase viewership. The 4:05 p.m. start time has been generally well-received by fans, as it allows them to watch multiple games on Saturdays during the NFL season.

4:25 PM ET

The National Football League (NFL) schedule for Sunday typically features early afternoon games starting at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by a national 4:25 p.m. ET broadcast game on FOX or CBS. However, on some Saturdays during the NFL season (usually during Wild Card weekend, Divisional Playoffs weekend, and Conference Championships weekend), the NFL schedule will feature late afternoon and evening games instead of the usual Sunday slate of games.

For example, during Wild Card weekend in the 2020-2021 NFL season, there are four Saturday games with kickoff times ranging from 4:35 PM ET to 8:15 PM ET. So if you’re looking to catch an NFL game on Saturday night, you’ll want to check the football schedule in advance to see what time your team is playing.

There are exceptions to these start times

The NFL Saturday games start at 4:30 p.m. E.T on December 19. The games start at 1 p.m. E.T on December 26 and January 2. The NFL Saturday games start at 4:30 p.m. E.T on December 19.

Some games may be flexed to a later time slot due to competitive reasons or to avoid going head-to-head with another NFL game

The NFL has the ability to flex games between the 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:05/4:25 p.m. ET time slots each week. The flex scheduling can occur as late as 12 days prior to the game. While Saturday games are not included in the flexibility, some may be moved to Sunday due to competitive reasons or to avoid going head-to-head with another NFL game.

The NFL may also schedule a “doubleheader” of two games back-to-back on Saturdays

These games are typically played at 4:05 and 8:20 p.m. ET, but there are exceptions. The NFL may also schedule a “doubleheader” of two games back-to-back on Saturdays, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. ET and the second game starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

NFL Saturday games are not always played on Saturdays

The NFL regular season typically starts on the Thursday night following Labor Day and ends on the Sunday night before New Year’s Day. However, there are occasionally NFL Saturday games that are played during the season. These games are usually played on the last Saturday of the season, but they can also be played on other Saturdays if there is a need to do so.

In some weeks, there may be a Saturday game played on Sunday due to scheduling conflicts

In some weeks, there may be a Saturday game played on Sunday due to scheduling conflicts. In these weeks, the NFL will determine which games will be featured on Saturday and which will be played on Sunday. NFL fans should check their local listings to see when their team is playing.

NFL Saturday games are not played every week

During the NFL season, there are several weeks where no Saturday games are scheduled. This is usually because there are too many games being played on Sundays, or because Bye weeks are spread out evenly throughout the season so that no team has more than one Bye week in a row. There are also times when the NFL will flex games from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night in order to get a better television rating.

There are typically only two Saturday games scheduled per season, one in Week 16 and one in Week 17

The NFL schedule typically features 16 Saturday games, but there are typically only two Saturday games scheduled per season, one in Week 16 and one in Week 17. The remaining 14 games are played on Sunday.