NFL Considers Thanksgiving Eve Game Addition

The National Football League is considering adding a game on Thanksgiving Eve as early as this season, expanding its holiday schedule amid strong viewership for existing Thanksgiving and Black Friday matchups.

League officials have discussed playing a primetime game on Wednesday, November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, according to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter. While initial talks point to implementation in 2026, the possibility for this year remains under review. This move would create a new standalone broadcast window during one of the NFL's most lucrative periods, building on the traditional three-game Thanksgiving Day slate and the Black Friday contest introduced in 2023.

Thanksgiving remains a cornerstone of the NFL calendar, drawing massive audiences. Last season's three games averaged 44.7 million viewers, a significant increase from 34.5 million the year before. The late-afternoon matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys on CBS set a regular-season record with 57.2 million viewers, surpassing the previous high of 42.1 million from a 2022 Cowboys-Giants game. The Black Friday game, streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, also performed well,...