The NFL is back on our television and is bigger than ever.
With the 2025 season starting Thursday, NFL fans are taking part in another record season of television viewing times. Assuming every game takes at least 3 hours, there will be over 330 hours of NFL broadcasts. This is about two weeks stuffed into the next 18 weeks, or about two days longer than chewing on 36 seasons of “The Simpsons.”
Of course, like most products we crave, “more” comes with a price. Even if your TV is hooked on the antenna, you’ll still need five subscriptions: YouTube, ESPN, Prime Video, NFL Network and Netflix to watch all the regular season games.
Since 2005, time slots have increased by 41%
The 2025 NFL schedule is very different from when Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers was the Packers rookie backup in 2005.
Many of the new time slots from the past 20 years come from Thursday night games. It is currently being carried on Prime Video. In 2005, two of the three games on Thursday were traditional Thanksgiving games. The third was the opening night between the Raiders and the Patriots. A young Tom Brady was at the helm. According to the Pro Football Reference, the NFL added an evening Thanksgiving game the following year in 2006.
The NFL schedule has also expanded at the edge:
nfl added its 17th game in 2021, offering at least 15 hours of viewing time compared to its 2005 schedule.
Two weeks of the Monday Monday Night Football Schedule are very similar to the weekly NBA schedule. The 2025 schedule is also two games between ABC and ESPN, an hour apart on two different Monday nights.
In addition to the evening of the hresk festival, the NFL also won several hours during their holidays. The 3rd season of Black Friday games at 3pm appears to be here to stay as well as the three games at Christmas.
NBA vs NFL on Christmas Day 2025
Next to the NFL, the NBA and MLB are far-off seconds for American television viewers. And the NFL scheduler knows clearly, taking into account the way the league’s schedules have changed.
The NBA traditionally viewed December 25th as the national stage day. This is the second first day of the league. Since 2023, the NFL has stepped up plans for the NBA’s Christmas Day in three games. It will be interesting to see what Tuesday, December 25th, 2029 brings. Similarly, MLB no longer plays World Series games on Sunday nights.
The NFL will add the 7th International Game in 2025
Another difference between this year’s schedule and Rodgers’ first season is the NFL international game series.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans get at least seven hours of sleep. There will be 17 hours left for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his staff. They will provide as many hours of football programming as they wake up during the NFL Sundays this season.
The NFL International series began in 2007, but it wasn’t 12 years ago that the league tested the 9:30am game. The 9:30am international tournament slate this year will begin in week four when the Vikings play the Steelers and Rodgers at Croke Park, the NFL’s first regular season game in Dublin, Ireland.
Searchable list of all 2025 NFL games
The searchable list below shows each scheduled and unscheduled matchup for the 2025 season. For example, if you want to check your Philadelphia Eagles schedule, enter “Eagles” in the search bar. Alternatively, if you would like to watch the game in the 9th week, enter W9.
