The NFL’s staging of its season opener on a Wednesday could quickly become a fixture.
The NFL’s staging of its season opener on a Wednesday could quickly become a fixture, particularly if viewership is strong for the Super Bowl LX rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks.
Even before NBC Sports airs the much-anticipated game from Lumen Field, play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico said he foresees the unusual scheduling not being a one-and-done.
“I think the NFL is such an entertainment powerhouse that people will adjust their lives and schedules for the right matchup and the right game,” Tirico said in a call with reporters. “A rematch of the Super Bowl, a couple of high-profile teams, makes sense. And it makes logistic sense to clear out time so they can play Thursday night, which is Friday morning in Melbourne. I think if it works, which I expect it will…I think it adds possibilities there.”
The league initially unveiled the unusual Week 1 scheduling in March, when it solidified plans to play on Thursday night for U.S. viewers, from Australia, and avoid any calendar complications related to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, aimed at protecting college and high school football. That international plan then pushed the traditional NFL kickoff game involving the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to the non-traditional Wednesday slot.
