Why Did the NFL Add an Extra Game?

The NFL has come under fire in recent years for a number of reasons. One of the biggest complaints is the length of the season. Some people feel that the season is too long and that adding an extra game would only make things worse.

Reasons for adding an extra game

The NFL season currently consists of 16 regular season games and 4 preseason games. However, starting in the 2020 season, the NFL will add an additional regular season game, making it a 17-game season. This has caused some controversy, so let’s take a look at why the NFL decided to add an extra game.

More revenue

The most logical reason for the NFL owners to vote in favor of adding an extra regular season game is more revenue.

With another game comes more ticket sales, more concession stands sales and more people watching on television which means higher advertising rates. In a time when the economy is struggling, this was probably the deciding factor for many team owners.

An extra game also means more money for the players but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are in favor of it. In fact, many players have come out against playing an extra game because of the risk of injury. With 16 games already on the schedule, adding one more game increases the chances that a key player will get hurt and miss significant playing time.

The bottom line is that the NFL is a business and adding an additional game was simply a business decision designed to make more money for the team owners.

More fans

The NFL added an extra game to the regular season schedule in 2006, going from 16 games to 17. There have been a number of reasons cited for this decision, but the primary one seems to be that the league believes it will make more money.

More Fans
The NFL is always looking for ways to increase revenue, and one way to do that is by attracting more fans. Adding an extra game to the schedule gives fans one more reason to tune in, whether it’s live or on television. It also gives the league more opportunities to sell tickets and merchandise.

More Money
Of course, the bottom line for any business is making money, and the NFL is no different. By adding an extra game, the league can generate more revenue from television contracts, ticket sales and merchandise. That extra revenue can then be used to improve the product on the field, which should attract even more fans and generate even more revenue.

Improved Product
In theory, adding an extra game should also help improve the quality of play on the field. With an extra week of practice and an extra game to prepare for, teams should be able to field their best squads more often. That could lead to better competition and a higher level of play overall, making the NFL even more enjoyable for fans.

More TV ratings

The NFL has always been a ratings juggernaut, but this season the numbers have been especially impressive. Through Week 12 of the regular season, NFL games had been averaging 16.5 million viewers, up 7% from last year. And that’s despite some competitive primetime games being shifted to cable due to lower viewership potential.

So it’s no surprise that the league would want to capitalize on its current popularity by adding an extra game to the postseason. More games means more TV revenue, which is desperately needed as the league looks to negotiate new broadcast contracts in the coming years.

It’s also worth noting that the NFL isn’t the only one benefitting from higher ratings this season. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” has been averaging 22 million viewers, up 8% from last year. And ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” is averaging 11 million viewers, up 9% from last year. So it’s likely that both networks would be willing to pay more for NFL content in the future.

How will this affect the players?

The NFL has announced that they will be adding an extra game to the regular season. This means that each team will now play 17 games instead of 16. This change has come about because the NFL wants to generate more revenue. How will this extra game affect the players?

More injuries

The worry for many fans, coaches and players is that adding an extra game will lead to more injuries. A 2012 study by Michael D.ORKIN of St. Joseph’s University found that “the number of games missed because of injury increased from 5.3 to 6.0 per team when the league went from a 16-game to an 18-game schedule.”

The NFL has been fortunate in recent years that its most marketable stars — Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott — have been largely healthy. But there are plenty of examples of players who have suffered significant injuries late in the season, when bodies are battered and minds weary. In 2011, then-Packers quarterback Rodgers broke his collarbone in Week 14; two years later, Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski tore his ACL and MCL in Week 14. In 2017, Cowboys quarterback Prescott sprained his right ankle in Week 11 but gutted out the rest of the season; he then suffered a compound fracture in his right leg in the team’s wild-card playoff loss to the Rams.

More wear and tear

The additional game means that each team will now play 17 regular season games instead of 16. This puts even more wear and tear on the players, who are already playing a physically demanding sport. The players will also have less time to rest and recover between games, which could lead to more injuries. Another concern is that the extra game will take away from the quality of play, as teams will be less fresh and less prepared.

Less time to rest and recover

The players have less time to rest and recover between games, which could lead to more injuries. In addition, the quality of play could suffer if teams are not able to field their best players because of injuries.

How will this affect the fans?

With the regular season being cut short by a game, the NFL has decided to add an additional game to the end of the season. This game will be played on a Saturday and will be between two divisional opponents. The NFL has stated that this game will not have any playoff implications.

More expensive tickets

With the NFL adding an extra game to the regular season schedule, fans can expect to see a price increase in tickets. The additional game means that each team will now have an extra home game, which in turn means that stadiums will be able to sell more tickets. While this may not seem like a big deal, it could end up costing fans quite a bit of money.

A recent study found that the average price of an NFL ticket has gone up by 28% over the past five years. If prices continue to rise at this rate, an extra game could mean that fans will have to pay hundreds of dollars more for their tickets. This could price many people out of attending games, and it would be a huge blow to the popularity of the sport.

The NFL has not yet said how much ticket prices will increase by, but it is likely that they will go up by at least a few dollars. This may not seem like much, but it could make a big difference for many people. If you are a fan of the NFL, now is the time to start saving up for next season.

More traffic

The most obvious impact of adding an extra game to the NFL schedule is more traffic. With more games comes more fans and more traffic. Fans will be flooding into cities on game days and leaving after the game, causing traffic jams and congestion. This is especially true for cities with very limited public transportation options.

More crowded stadiums

With the NFL adding an extra game to the regular season, there will be more games played in already crowded stadiums. This may cause some fans to be unhappy with the change.

How will this affect the TV ratings?

The NFL has decided to add an extra game to the regular season. This is in addition to the already existing preseason and postseason games. How will this affect the TV ratings? Will more fans tune in or will they be turned off by the extra game?

More viewers

The NFL is expecting the new Thursday night game to bring in more viewers and generate higher TV ratings. According to Nielsen, the Thursday night games that were aired on CBS last season averaged a rating of 8.1 and 14 million viewers. This is a significant increase from the 2014 season when Nielsen recorded a rating of 5.6 and 9.3 million viewers for Thursday night games that were broadcast on NFL Network. The NFL is hoping that the new Thursday night game will continue to grow the ratings and bring in more viewers.

More commercials

The NFL has added another game to the regular season, meaning that there will now be 17 weeks of football instead of 16. This extra game means that there will be more opportunities for commercial breaks, and that TV ratings are likely to go up as a result.

Some fans may be worried that this will mean even more commercials and less action, but the reality is that the average fan probably won’t even notice a difference. There are already commercials during NFL games, and they’re not going anywhere. The only thing that’s changing is that there will now be one more game each week.

So, if you’re a fan of the NFL, get ready for more football. And if you’re not a fan of commercials, well… you might want to find something else to do during those breaks.

More time to watch

The NFL decided to add an additional regular season game to the schedule starting in the 2010 season. This means that each team will play sixteen games instead of the traditional fifteen. The goal is to add more excitement and competition to the season while also generating more revenue.

Some people are concerned that this change will lead to more injuries, as players will be less rested between games. Others believe that it will simply mean more time spent watching football on television. There is no clear answer yet, but it will be interesting to see how this change affects the popularity of the sport.