The NFL released its full schedule Wednesday, and as always there are plenty of media storylines. Here are ten of the most intriguing games to watch this season from a media perspective. The full 2024 NFL schedule is available is here.
Week 1 Ravens-Chiefs on NBC (9/5 8:20PM ET)
The NFL went big with the first game of the season, a rematch of the AFC Championship game from last year featuring two of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. This game traditionally features the defending Super Bowl champion, though the league doesn’t always give them a marquee opponent. Viewership for the opening game is pretty baked-in, regardless of the match-up, meaning its not always wise to use such an attractive game in this slot. Nevertheless, NBC received a beauty for its first of three standalone Week 1 games.
Week 1 Cowboys-Browns on Fox (9/8 4:25PM ET)
The game that will have the undivided attention of the sports media universe in Week 1 will be Cowboys-Browns, Tom Brady‘s broadcast debut. Possibly the most anticipated media storyline of the season, Brady’s performance alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt will be put under a microscope all season, especially Week 1. The NFL has given only Fox a Week 1 doubleheader this season, a departure from last year when the league gave both CBS and Fox a doubleheader. Between that and the ratings-darling Cowboys, Brady’s first game will assuredly draw a large audience. First impressions can be very important in broadcasting, and with Fox’s former lead analyst Greg Olsen receiving widely positive reviews during his time on the top team, Brady will have a high bar to clear in his first year on the job.
Week 7 Chiefs-49ers on Fox (10/20 4:25PM ET)
For obvious reasons, Chiefs-49ers in the Fox national window Week 7 will be highlighted on everyone’s schedules. A rematch of last year’s Super Bowl thriller, this game will consume much of the media narrative in the week leading up. Expect this to be one of the largest Sunday afternoon audiences all season.
Week 7 Ravens-Buccaneers on ESPN / Chargers-Cardinals on ESPN+ (10/21 8:15PM and 9:00PM ET)
Week 7 will be one of ESPN’s four Monday Night Football doubleheaders for the season. Each of the other three doubleheader weeks will split games between ESPN and ABC, aside from Week 7 when Chargers-Cardinals will air exclusively on ESPN+. The past two seasons, the NFL has granted ESPN+ exclusivity to one of the Sunday morning international series games in London to fulfill its contractual obligation with ESPN. Now, that game will shift to Monday night as part of a doubleheader. ESPN will assuredly use Ravens-Buccaneers on the main channel to promote the concurrent ESPN+ game, likely using live look-ins as they’ve done in the past. Chargers fans surely feel like they are getting the short end of the stick from the NFL, playing in both the Week 15 Peacock exclusive last season, and the ESPN+ exclusive this season.
Week 11 Chiefs-Bills on CBS (11/17 4:25PM ET)
Arguably the top CBS game of the year, Chiefs-Bills has become a staple of the network’s NFL coverage. As expected, CBS has chosen to load up its schedule with Chiefs games; the team will play at least eight games on the network this season, doing their best to earn credit for the ‘C’ in CBS. Between the Chiefs’ recent success and celebrity star power, they’re pushing the Cowboys’ status as the league’s top viewership draw. Ever since the so-called “13 seconds” game in 2021, this rivalry feels synonymous with hearing Jim Nantz and Tony Romo in the booth. With Romo taking some criticism in recent years, it will be interesting to see if public perception shifts at all this season, especially with Brady’s inaugural season taking up people’s attention.
Week 13 Bears-Lions on CBS (Thanksgiving 12:30PM ET)
What traditionally has been a complete disappointment for NFL fans over the years, the newly competitive Lions are no longer the Thanksgiving embarrassment they once were. Couple that with first overall pick Caleb Williams and the upstart Bears roster, and Thanksgiving in the Motor City actually seems pretty appealing this year for CBS. Though the Lions have long been the butt of many Thanksgiving jokes, the team has played in three straight one-score games on the holiday, albeit losing all three. The team will seek its first Thanksgiving win since 2016 come November 28th.
Week 13 Giants-Cowboys on Fox (Thanksgiving 4:30PM ET)
The NFL did not hold back for the Cowboys’ traditional late afternoon Thanksgiving time slot, pairing them with another large market team in the Giants. Fox had this exact match-up on Thanksgiving in 2022, which drew 42.1 million viewers. The league does not always give the Cowboys such an attractive Thanksgiving Day game, knowing viewership is already baked-in. Since 2020, the Cowboys have played the Commanders twice, the Raiders once, and the Giants once — not exactly games begging for prime-time. No matter who they play, the Cowboys on Thanksgiving will always draw one of the largest audiences in the regular season, and even beat out some postseason games.
Week 13 Raiders-Chiefs on Amazon (Black Friday 3:00PM ET)
Closing out the midweek slate in Week 13 will be the second iteration of Amazon’s Black Friday exclusive. Last year’s Jets-Dolphins game did not get quite the attention Amazon likely anticipated prior to the season due to Aaron Rodgers‘ injury in Week 1. Fortunately, this year the streamer will get the defending Super Bowl champions against a divisional opponent that always gives them fits. Last year’s game did not fare well in the viewership department, averaging just 9.61 million viewers — one of the least-watched games of the season. Amazon will look to bounce back with a better match-up this season.
Week 16 Ravens-Steelers on Fox (12/21 4:30PM ET)
A high-profile divisional rivalry game late in the season, yes. But more notably, this iteration of Ravens-Steelers will be played at 4:30PM ET on Saturday, December 21st, directly against the College Football Playoff. NBC will also air a game earlier in the day competing against the CFP, Chiefs-Texans at 1PM ET. The aggressive maneuver by the NFL comes after the league suggested that the CFP move one of its three scheduled Saturday games to Friday, and the CFP refused. Traditionally, these Saturday NFL games would be slated for NFL Network, but the shift to broadcast signals the NFL means business. Combine that with the caliber of the teams playing, and this Saturday will culminate in a fascinating ratings battle between college and pro football.
Week 17 Ravens-Texans on Netflix (Christmas 4:30PM ET)
How could this list be complete without the media rights acquisition that could shape the future of live sports? Maybe that’s hyperbole, but Netflix’s long-awaited jump into live sports has finally arrived in a big way. The streamer will air both Ravens-Texans and Steelers-Chiefs on Christmas day. Details about who will call and produce the game have not yet been revealed. Netflix will pay a reported $150 million to air both games, comparable to what Amazon will pay for its exclusive Wild Card game a few weeks later. Netflix’s Christmas deal with the NFL will also span into 2025 and 2026, with the streamer airing at least one game on the holiday each year. If this experiment goes well, the NFL will be in prime position to renegotiate its media rights deals when the league’s opt-out hits in 2029, having inked deals with three of the largest digital media companies on the planet: Google, Amazon, and Netflix.
