Why Did the NFL Postpone Games?

The NFL has postponed two games this week in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s why they made that decision.

Reasons for Postponement

There are a variety of reasons that the NFL decided to postpone this week’s games. The most significant reason is the COVID-19 outbreak amongst players and staff. With so many people affected, it’s become difficult to maintain a safe environment. Other reasons include bad weather and player protests.

COVID-19 outbreak among players

The NFL has postponed games due to the COVID-19 outbreak among players. The NFL Players Association recommended that the league postpone games after several players tested positive for the virus. The NFL has said that it will reschedule the games for later in the season.

Lack of available players

The NFL has postponed two games this season due to a lack of available players. In Week 5, the Denver Broncos versus New England Patriots game was postponed after four Broncos players tested positive for COVID-19. The game was rescheduled for Week 6. In Week 6, the Baltimore Ravens versus Pittsburgh Steelers game was postponed due to a outbreak of the virus within the Ravens organization. That game has yet to be rescheduled.

These postponements are due to the league’s strict protocols that require a team to have a certain number of players available in order to play. These protocols are in place to protect player safety and ensure that games can be played as scheduled.

The NFL has said that it is looking into possible schedule changes for future weeks in order to accommodate these postponements, but has not announced any changes at this time.

How postponement affects the NFL

The NFL has had to postpone games due to COVID-19 outbreaks on several teams. How does this affect the NFL? First, it throws off the schedule. Second, it affects the players and their families. Third, it affects the fans. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.

TV ratings

Since the NFL postponed games in the wake of player protests, there has been a significant drop in television ratings. In fact, some fans have turned away from the NFL entirely due to its handling of the situation.

The protests, which began last year with then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, have divided fans. Some argue that the players are disrespecting the flag and country, while others support their right to protest.

The NFL had been trying to walk a fine line between supporting its players’ right to protest and appeasing its fan base, but the postponement of games seems to have upset many people.

It’s unclear how long the decline in ratings will continue, but it’s clear that the NFL will need to do some damage control if it wants to win back its fans.

Revenue

How postponement affects the NFL – (Why Did the NFL Postpone Games?)
Revenue
The NFL generates the majority of its revenue from 4 sources: National television partners (NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN), local television partners, radio partners and licensed merchandise.

In terms of national television partners, the NFL has generated over $5 billion in each of the past 5 years. The league currently has deals in place with NBC, CBS and FOX that will average $3.1 billion per year through 2022. These deals cover Sunday afternoon games (CBS and FOX), Sunday Night Football (NBC) and Thursday Night Football (FOX). In addition, the NFL has a deal in place with ESPN that will average $1.9 billion per year through 2021. This deal covers Monday Night Football as well as some playoff games.

In terms of local television partners, each team has a separate deal. These deals vary in length and average around $100 million per year. The money generated from these deals is used to fund stadium construction/renovations and assist with day-to-day operating expenses.

The NFL also receives a small amount of revenue from radio partners as well as licensed merchandise sales.

Betting

Here is how postponement of games affects NFL betting:

The nature of the problem is that there are still too many unknowns regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its potential effects on players, coaches and staff. As a result, the NFL has decided to err on the side of caution and postpone games.

This has a couple of different betting implications. First, it means that any bets that have already been placed on games that have been postponed will be refunded. Second, it means that any future bets on games that have not yet been postponed will be void if the game is ultimately postponed.

This is a fluid situation and it is possible that more games could be postponed in the future. As more information becomes available, the NFL and bettors will have a better idea of how to handle future bets.