NFL adds Wednesday opener, expands holiday slate after ratings rise

The National Football League will stage more games on non-traditional days after a 10% ratings increase last season, league officials said Friday. The 2025 schedule includes a Wednesday night season opener on September 9 featuring a rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. It also adds a Wednesday “Thanksgiving Eve” game on November 25 with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Los Angeles Rams.

Officials said the aim is to meet strong fan demand, especially around holiday windows, while keeping most games in established Sunday slots.

Average viewership climbed to 18.7 million per game last season, the league’s second-highest mark since tracking began in 1988. League executives said all broadcast partners posted gains, encouraging a selective push into additional prime-time and midweek windows. The league framed the strategy as expanding access rather than overhauling tradition, noting that Sunday will remain the anchor of the weekly schedule.

Wednesday kickoffs are not typical for the NFL, but officials said recent audience growth around holiday programming supports measured experimentation. The 2025 plan places two high-profile Wednesday fixtures at the start of the season and during Thanksgiving week, both designed to tap into larger at-home audiences and extended viewing periods.

Looking ahead, the NFL’s 2026 schedule further broadens holiday coverage. Thanksgiving week will feature games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, according to the league. For Christmas, officials said the slate is structured around one game on Christmas Eve, three on Christmas Day, a sizable Sunday program and a Monday night matchup, reflecting fan interest in late-December football.

Holiday windows and midweek additions

Thanksgiving week plan expands across five days

By placing games on five separate days during Thanksgiving week in 2026, the league aims to maximize reach across multiple viewing windows. Officials indicated the approach is calibrated to audience behavior during the holiday period, when families gather and TV usage typically rises. The Wednesday “Thanksgiving Eve” game in 2025 serves as an early test of that expanded cadence.

Christmas slate intensifies with multiple matchups

The league said it has “stretched” its Christmas week programming as far as practical, distributing games across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Sunday and Monday night to capitalize on peak holiday viewing. Executives characterized the plan as confident but selective, emphasizing that the expansion targets windows where past data shows fans reliably tune in.

Ratings momentum and scheduling balance

Audience growth underpins selective expansion

With 18.7 million average viewers per game and gains reported across media partners, the NFL sees room to add limited midweek and holiday slots without diluting core Sunday audiences. Officials said the distribution strategy will continue to balance tradition with reach, using data from recent seasons to guide placement of marquee matchups.

Sunday remains the anchor of the schedule

Despite the midweek additions, the league reiterated that most games will stay in traditional Sunday windows. Executives said the objective is not to scatter the schedule, but to place select games where fans are already demonstrating interest, particularly during the holidays.

The NFL will release full kickoff times and broadcast assignments closer to each season. Fans should watch for further details on the 2025 opener and the expanded 2026 holiday slate as networks finalize coverage plans.