My Theory on why Bills have a lack of Primetime Games.

[MAJBobby]

I used to think it was tied to being a Small Market. I do not believe that anymore as other Small Market teams get On Primetime regularly. 
 

so then I use to think well it is because they haven’t been good. While that can still somewhat hold water I am starting to think otherwise because I see bad teams on Primetime all the time. 
 

So my theory is Leverage. And Leverage is something I would not put past the NFL at all.   The Powers to be are clearly upset that we are still playing in an older stadium. Even with New ownership the same thing comes up all the time from around the league about how we need a Stadium solution. It is the topic at every owners meeting and routinely mentioned by The Commish. 
 

I would not put it past the NFL ONE BIT to be not putting Bills on Primetime (or featured on their network during the talk shows or training camp rotations etc etc) until they have that nice new Shiny Stadium. 
 

what are you thought?

Edited November 30, 2019 by MAJBobby

[transplantbillsfan]

Nah.

 

We're getting more next year.

 

No one nationally thought the Bills or Josh Allen specifically were any good going into this year. 

 

That Thanksgiving day game was the highest rated regular season game in 3 years.

 

Josh Allen is becoming most watch TV. Expect at least one SNF game next year.

[Kirby Jackson]

That’s an interesting thought. A lot of it used to have to do with the amount of Bills fans that travel for games. The Bills have a lot of season ticket holders that travel hours to games. They used to request that they be limited for that reason and they worried about flex scheduling for the same reason. I’d expect a couple next year. 

[ALLEN1QB]

4 straight Super Bowl losses will do that

[LeGOATski]

Probably is part of it.

 

The NFL clearly wanted to hype the Browns before the season and they got plenty of prime time attention this year.

 

I think a lot of it just has to do with star power. The Bills have some great players, but just not national stars. That's why the Thanksgiving game was huge. It showed how good the individuals were (Josh, Oliver, etc) on the national stage.

[MAJBobby]

1 minute ago, transplantbillsfan said:

Nah.

 

We're getting more next year.

 

No one nationally thought the Bills or Josh Allen specifically were any good going into this year. 

 

That Thanksgiving day game was the highest rated regular season game in 3 years.

 

Josh Allen is becoming most watch TV. Expect at least one SNF game next year.

ok maybe the get a Primetime Next year. Would almost guess though it will be on the Road. 
 

keeping that leverage for the Stadium.  For example would you be happy with SNF in Foxboro (instead of at New Era?)

[ehfeuh57]

it s very simple, every time we got the shot at it, we lose

 

each time, that ruined our likely hood of getting more

 

now we finally won it! and have  cool QB. things are gonna change

[Warcodered]

I think this is more an argument for why they haven't/might not put them on prime time for a home game. Other than that the offseason "Hot" teams like the Jets and Browns all got a bunch.

[Boca BIlls]

WRONG, they havent been good and were never predicted to be good. 

 

 

Those are the true reasons.

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Boca BIlls

[Just Joshin']

I am in the minority, I presume, that I do not care if they get Prime time games or not.  Especially if means they need to travel for a Thursday night game.

[MAJBobby]

1 minute ago, LeGOATski said:

Probably is part of it.

 

The NFL clearly wanted to hype the Browns before the season and they got plenty of prime time attention this year.

 

I think a lot of it just has to do with star power. The Bills have some great players, but just not national stars. That's why the Thanksgiving game was huge. It showed how good the individuals were (Josh, Oliver, etc) on the national stage.

I thought about that too. To me as I have watched more and more of these nice new stadiums pop up. Those are the teams that get hyped by the Network. And those tend to be the teams Hosting those Primetime Games. 

[Buffalo716]

The stadium issue is overblown

 

There are a handful of teams with old stadiums and blackballing a team because of it wouldn't want to make me build a new one lol

 

 

[LeGOATski]

3 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

I think this is more an argument for why they haven't/might not put them on prime time for a home game. Other than that the offseason "Hot" teams like the Jets and Browns all got a bunch.

Yeah, they got star players like OBJ and Bell and were projected to be good teams. I think those are the two biggest considerations for the scheduler.

[MAJBobby]

1 minute ago, Buffalo716 said:

The stadium issue is overblown

 

There are a handful of teams with old stadiums and blackballing a team because of it wouldn't want to make me build a new one lol

 

 

and yet the ONLY TEAM ever mentioned at the Owners meetings about their Stadium is the Buffalo Bills 

4 minutes ago, Boca BIlls said:

WRONG, they havent been good and were never predicted to be good. 

 

 

Those are the true reasons.

 

so tell me how all those teams like Mia, Tenn etc etc were projected to be good 

[Bferra13]

Is Rodg and the good ol' boys playing his refs against us too? That's the one I'd be more worried about. I could really care less about Primetime games personally.

[MAJBobby]

5 minutes ago, Just Joshin' said:

I am in the minority, I presume, that I do not care if they get Prime time games or not.  Especially if means they need to travel for a Thursday night game.

I actually don’t care about Primetime Games either. However Just looking at how Washington gets multiple Giants get multiple etc etc 

 

also looking at that anytime all these Owners meet the Bills Stadium is ALWAYS talked about. 

[JustWinPlease]

14 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

I used to think it was tied to being a Small Market. I do not believe that anymore as other Small Market teams get On Primetime regularly. 
 

so then I use to think well it is because they haven’t been good. While that can still somewhat hold water I am starting to think otherwise because I see bad teams on Primetime all the time. 
 

So my theory is Leverage. And Leverage is something I would not put past the NFL at all.   The Powers to be are clearly upset that we are still playing in an older stadium. Even with New ownership the same thing comes up all the time from around the league about how we need a Stadium solution. It is the topic at every owners meeting and routinely mentioned by The Commish. 
 

I would not put it past the NFL ONE BIT to be not putting Bills on Primetime (or featured on their network during the talk shows or training camp rotations etc etc) until they have that nice new Shiny Stadium. 
 

what are you thought?

I'd bet the Bills 1pm/4pm national games don't do well either, and it has more to do with that.

I know when I lived in Myrtle Beach it was like getting teeth pulled to find a place that would show their game when it was on...and when I did, people would complain.

[NoSaint]

4 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

That’s an interesting thought. A lot of it used to have to do with the amount of Bills fans that travel for games. The Bills have a lot of season ticket holders that travel hours to games. They used to request that they be limited for that reason and they worried about flex scheduling for the same reason. I’d expect a couple next year. 

add in that our fans have been sloppy for them... I could certainly see there being layers of reasons. 
 

i think stadium leverage is low to non-existent. Bobby can say that market size and winning isn’t important but I’d be shocked if he brings much of a list of small market bad teams getting these games and when they are I’d bet there’s a compelling storyline or expectation of quality that went unmet. ESPN/NBC arent picking bad, boring, teams with few fans and they aren’t doing the nfls dirty work.
 

I think occams shaver says we haven’t asked for the attention, and the tv execs haven’t had a reason to force it on us. 

[MAJBobby]

Just now, JustWinPlease said:

I'd bet the Bills 1pm/4pm national games don't do well either, and it has more to do with that.

I know when I lived in Myrtle Beach it was like getting teeth pulled to find a place that would show their game when it was on...and when I did, people would complain.

that is the same in ANY out of market game 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

15 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

I used to think it was tied to being a Small Market. I do not believe that anymore as other Small Market teams get On Primetime regularly. 
 

so then I use to think well it is because they haven’t been good. While that can still somewhat hold water I am starting to think otherwise because I see bad teams on Primetime all the time. 
 

So my theory is Leverage. And Leverage is something I would not put past the NFL at all.   The Powers to be are clearly upset that we are still playing in an older stadium. Even with New ownership the same thing comes up all the time from around the league about how we need a Stadium solution. It is the topic at every owners meeting and routinely mentioned by The Commish. 
 

I would not put it past the NFL ONE BIT to be not putting Bills on Primetime (or featured on their network during the talk shows or training camp rotations etc etc) until they have that nice new Shiny Stadium. 
 

what are you thought?

 

Whatever it is, being part of one of the highest viewed thanksgiving games in a long time and shinning, with some superstar level plays is going to help change things. 

 

Im extremely biased but that Bills game seemed fun to watch for any non cowboys NFL fan.