THE NFL is making a major change to its schedule for the 2026 season.
After kicking off the NFL season with a Friday game in Week 1 for the last two seasons, that tradition will no longer continue.
The NFL will no longer broadcast a Friday game in Week 1 of the season[/caption]
The Chiefs are playing in the Friday Brazil game this season[/caption]
According to Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Media Distribution, the Friday game will not continue into 2026.
The NFL was able to schedule a Week 1 Friday game this season and last due to Labor Day being early.
However, with the holiday being at a different time in 2026, the league legally cannot schedule a Friday game in the second week of September.
This is due to the 1961 Sports Broadcasting act.
That act prohibits Friday or Saturday NFL games being scheduled during the high school and college football seasons.
With the NFL season kicking off on the weekend of September 11, high school and college will already be underway.
This is a bit of a blow to the NFL’s international scheduling.
In both 2024 and 2025 a game in Sao Paulo, Brazil filled the opening week Friday slot.
That game was a big money maker for the NFL as broadcasters spent big for the rights to air the game.
In 2024, NBC Universal and Peacock spent $105 million for the rights to the broadcast.
It is believed that YouTube spent the same fee for the game this season.
The NFL will now likely move the Friday international game to another 9:30 pm ET slot.
It is anticipated that the league is heading towards a full international slate of 17 or 18 games.
Reports indicate that if the league were to expand to an 18 game season, it would bring a full slate of international games with it.
How to watch NFL games in 2025
THE 2025 NFL season is fast approaching and you can get some excellent deals to watch all the action.
Below you’ll find all the places to watch Patrick Mahomes and Co in what’s sure to be another sizzling campaign.
*If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue
- ESPN: $11.99/mo – subscribe here
- Amazon Prime: $14.99/mo – subscribe here
- Peacock: $11.99/mo – subscribe here
- Paramount+: $11.99/mo – subscribe here
- Fox One: $19.99/mo – subscribe here
- Netflix: $22.99/mo – subscribe here
- NFL+ Premium: $14.99/mo – subscribe here
- Hulu + live TV: $82.99/mo – subscribe here
- Sling TV: $45.99/mo – subscribe here
- DAZN game pass: $17.99/mo – subscribe here
That would allow the league to sell all of those games together to a network as an international package in the 9:30 am ET window.
This year, the final Friday game will include the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
The two teams will face off at 8:00 pm ET on September 5.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers faced off in the game last year.
