The NFL wants more holiday TV time. League bosses are looking at a new game for Wednesday, November 25, 2026. This would be the first Thanksgiving Eve game.
The plan creates a huge football week. Fans would see games on 7 out of 9 days. This stretch runs from November 22 to November 30.
Hans Schroeder is the NFL executive vice president of media distribution. He spoke about the holiday growth. Schroedersaid, “From what we’ve seen the last couple years is really some unprecedent growth, and not just on Christmas, on Thanksgiving, too.”
NFL wants more holiday TV time
Feb 4, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; The NFL shield logo at the Super Bowl LX Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The league likes the numbers from the 2023 Black Friday game. That game had 9.6M viewers. They want to repeat that success on Wednesday nights before the big feast.
Logistics are the main challenge for a Wednesday game. Teams need rest. The NFL plans to use teams coming off a bye week. This keeps players safe and fresh.
NFL now is exploring playing a game on Thanksgiving Eve as early as this season. This year this would be Wednesday, Nov. 25. pic.twitter.com/ZFTrOIjTYV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2026
The 2024 Christmas games proved that Wednesday works. Those games were played on December 25. Netflix paid $75M for each of those 2 games. The league sees big money here.
YouTube is a top candidate to show the Thanksgiving Eve game. They already host Sunday Ticket for the league. This would add to their digital sports portfolio.
The traditional 3 games on Thursday will stay. The Friday game after Thanksgiving also remains. This new game just makes the holiday weekend longer for the fans.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell likes the shift to digital. Goodell oncesaid, “We’re going to be where the fans are.” The league is moving away from old TV rules.
This move follows a trend of playing on new days. The NFL wants to own the entire holiday week. More games mean more ads and more money for 32 teams.
Fans slammed NFL for prioritizing greed over player safety
The announcement frustrated fans, who called out the league’s real priorities.
One fanwarned, “Greed will surely ruin the NFL’s golden goose.”
A second fanpointed out, “I guess player safety went out the window.”
A third fan sarcasticallyremarked, “Player safety is ‘definitely’ at the forefront… Greed above everything for the NFL.”
A fourth fan bluntlystated, “This is corporate greed at its finest.”
A fifth fanadded, “When the NFL says they care about player safety, it’s clear they do not.”
Fans made it clear they believe the NFL values profit far more than protecting its players.