Prime time National and International TV games 2023

[Just Jack]

I don't think they'll play Thanksgiving, after having done it 3 out of the last 4 years. 

[buffalobillswin]

I think they will get the normal 5 prime time games or maybe 4 with a Saturday flex potential. 
 

Allen is still hugely marketable and Bills games seem to do well ratings wise and it’s still a first place schedule which means a lot of intriguing games. 

[corta765]

4 hours ago, Xwnyer said:

Bills are not playing the Titans in England

They can't both teams are home for their games

[corta765]

My enthusiasm is pretty low for the first time in a long time so I have not done my normal look into next season as I typically do, but I would say Buffalo will have a pretty large presence in nationally televised games again this year. They maybe are not the bell of the ball like this prior year, but the ratings have been huge, they still have a very good team with marketable players, and their games typically are very entertaining all things the league network, and sponsors love. 

 

I will do my annual post once we are on to 2023 in March but this past year literally half the season was a nationally televised game//prime time game. Primetime games are anything that is either at night or at the 4pm window for me.

 

Looking at the opponents it is a pretty solid schedule before FA or the draft with the usual suspects like KC/CIN leading the way, playoff teams like JAX/LAC/MIA, and the entire NFC East which the NFL loves. I would be stunned for Buffalo to open the season two straight years especially as they would be on the road if they went to KC/PHI/CIN. Plus the AFC East in general improved last year so I would expect a division game or two again in a primetime window. I also agree with others that another Thanksgiving game probably is not there this year as maybe KC or CIN takes the Bills spot.

 

One of the things to remember with the schedule is teams have the ability to request to the NFL certain things they prefer from game times, days they play, how many primetime games they get etc... the NFL doesn't do everything for each team, but they do really try to honor requests as much as possible. My guess after hearing Beane's comments and the chaos of this season is Buffalo requests to open at home this year, no Thanksgiving, and probably a little more limited amount of at least home night games with a goal of a little more rhythm and normalcy. The Bills already are going to London which is always a big enough thing in itself, so despite the teams popularity I can see the NFL backing the Bills down a little from this past year. KC actually played on Sunday 14 of the 17 games with just one MNF game, a TNF game, and a Saturday game. Buffalo on the other hand had 7 games that were not on Sunday. Networks can also protect games so maybe KC goes back to night but CIN is the 4pm spot and the Eagles stay in FOX's national 4 pm window rather then going primetime. The Bills do have to go though to LA for the Chargers so there is no stopping that 4pm window.

 

My overall guess would be this:

9 primetime window game games

4 at night. Plus possible Saturday flex game in DEC and final week Sunday

 

1x SNF (DAL)

1x TNF (at Division my guess NYJ)

2x MNF (MIA//at KC)

in London

at PHI 4pm national

at CIN 4pm national

at LAC 4pm national

 

This would be still a pretty large window of non 1pm games with over half the season still in the spotlight, but only three games non Sunday. As I said things can change on the attractiveness of matchups with FA, draft, trades etc.. but this would be my general guess in terms of what we look like in overall.

[Gregg]

One thing about the Thanksgiving Day games. Doesn't the league alternate the AFC team going from Dallas and Detroit. If so, then Dallas would get the AFC team next year since the Bills just played at Detroit. Only 2 AFC teams are scheduled to play at Dallas next season. The Jets and the Pats.

[corta765]

2 minutes ago, Gregg said:

One thing about the Thanksgiving Day games. Doesn't the league alternate the AFC team going from Dallas and Detroit. If so, then Dallas would get the AFC team next year since the Bills just played at Detroit. Only 2 AFC teams are scheduled to play at Dallas next season. The Jets and the Pats.

 

Not completely. Some years the matchups are good where they do AFC other years its all NFC. With the 3rd game now at night it seems that AFC is getting more of a spot, but as recently as 2018 all three games were all NFC.

[Beast]

4 hours ago, Gary Marangi said:

Thursday night at home

Sunday and Monday night away

That's it

So, we’re the Houston Texans now? 
 

The Bills will have at least 5 prime time games.

[Your Brown Eye]

We will definitely get a handful, they'll want to put Allen on prime time at least a few times. I will say 4.

[purple haze]

5 in prime time:

 

Dallas - SNF

 

@ Miami - MNF

 

Jets - TNF (Thanksgiving)

 

@ Chargers - SNF

 

Giants - MNF

 

 

[LABILLBACKER]

15 hours ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 No more Thanksgiving day games! We have lost a very good player to ACL injuries the last 2 years.

I'm over Thanksgiving. Too much bad mojo.

[TheWei44]

11 hours ago, purple haze said:

5 in prime time:

 

Dallas - SNF

 

@ Miami - MNF

 

Jets - TNF (Thanksgiving)

 

@ Chargers - SNF

 

Giants - MNF

 

 

Hard to imagine that both Bills-KC and Bills-Bengals wouldn't be prime time - I'd expect at least one of those two.

[Gregg]

Just now, TheWei44 said:

Hard to imagine that both Bills-KC and Bills-Bengals wouldn't be prime time - I'd expect at least one of those two.

 

CBS will want to protect those games as their national game of the week. I would imagine one of them gets on primetime.

[djp14150]

On 1/25/2023 at 6:11 AM, Doc Brown said:

Bills don't play the Titans next year.  Even in London.

 

I'll say six:

Raiders (In London)

Cowboys - SNF

Giants - TNF

@Chiefs - SNF

@Eagles - MNF

@Dolphins - MNF

 

CBS will protect Bills@Bengals.

 

CBS can’t protect anything.

 

the schedulers do listen to network preferences

 

 y understanding is that next year there will no longer be league affiliation to networks in programming.

 

thr national slots sre

 

Monday  night

thursday night

Sunday night

and national 435pm slots 

 

the Bills in London— will this be an NFL/ streaming 930am game or a 1 pm game.

 

the national games would be…

 

Hosting Dallas

hosting giants

at KC

at Cincy

At Philadelphia 

some divisional games 

 

if Brady is playing for Bucs orRaiders— expect that game to be on national TV

 e ause of that, I think denver at buffalo will be in London.

 

Brady at Buffalo will be their home opener ( Monday night)

KC game will be MNF

Cincy will be on sunday

 division game on thursday

giants- bills will be a later season Sunday night game

onr of Dallas/ eagles vs Buffalo will be solo 425 game and the other on Sunday night.

divisional game for de ember Saturday flexing or it could be an Xmas Monday game followed by MNF similar to this past season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[corta765]

1 hour ago, djp14150 said:

CBS can’t protect anything.

 

the schedulers do listen to network preferences

 

 y understanding is that next year there will no longer be league affiliation to networks in programming.

 

 

That is not fully true. The same way teams can make requests on where they play to open the season, end the season, their bye, primetime games etc... the networks do get some say to the NFL. CBS got KC at 4:25 so I would assume it reverts back to night, FOX probably would get the Bills PHI and as it is the first time in a few years I would also get a 4:25 national spot. CIN I would think by be MNF again or otherwise at night as this year went sideways.

But you are correct the days of CBS/FOX being specific to one conference are evolving into more the league itself and the NFL can dictate matchups in spots they want.

[djp14150]

1 hour ago, corta765 said:

 

That is not fully true. The same way teams can make requests on where they play to open the season, end the season, their bye, primetime games etc... the networks do get some say to the NFL. CBS got KC at 4:25 so I would assume it reverts back to night, FOX probably would get the Bills PHI and as it is the first time in a few years I would also get a 4:25 national spot. CIN I would think by be MNF again or otherwise at night as this year went sideways.

But you are correct the days of CBS/FOX being specific to one conference are evolving into more the league itself and the NFL can dictate matchups in spots they want.

as I said…..they can’t block.  They  have some say and requests.  In inter league play so cbs getting Dallas was limited so they would to get one of their games.  Division rivalry games usually had one for league network and ine on national prime time.  It was rare to have both in primetime in the schedule. If it occurred it was due to flexing.

 

FOX wants a DH to lead into the Sunday World Series game

both networks will get DH during the November ratings month.

FOX might request an early season single game week to align with MLS scheduling where most markets get 1 pm early and 430 soccer game. Those with late game get a different 130 pm game

 

 

stadium and hotel availability is a factor in scheduling.  When buffalo hosted the world junior hockey tourney from Dec 25-Jan 5 they ask for no home games during that period.  The first time thry hosted, the nfl missed the message. They had to change the schedule last minute. The 2nd time buffalo was off.

lsince Seattle mariners made the playoffs last year, it will be interesting to see the October schedule looks like for them because the stadiums are next to each other and they share parking lots.  Don’t be surprised to see in the rough 4 week baseball playoffs they are scheduled at hom on Thursday or Monday during WS time. Thry have an off week thrn, and they play 2 road games.  If thry schedule a home game thrn it’s a div game like with AZ or SF thst thry can flip sites with a later game.

 

 

 

if you recall with Brady- manning games they were generally rotated among cbs, nbc, and espn.  You will see the same with buf-kc games….fox got it for thurs, nbc got it, then cbs 425. Next year it’s likely not on cbs.

 

what complicates this is the unbinding of teams to networks.

[corta765]

18 hours ago, djp14150 said:

what complicates this is the unbinding of teams to networks.

 

Yea that is a new wrinkle as is the flexing of MNF games this year. I can easily see the Bills starting with four night games (2 MNF, TNF, SNF) and then the back end of the season from week 12-13 on you see matchups either division or in conference that have the ability to get moved so were not stuck with the Broncos flaming out like last year.

[RiotAct]

On 1/25/2023 at 12:34 PM, Your Brown Eye said:

We will definitely get a handful, they'll want to put Allen on prime time at least a few times. I will say 4.

and Terrell Bernard.  Don’t forget him.

[Gregg]

With the AFCE looking pretty strong (on paper) and especially if the Jets and Fins can get one of the better QB's the Bills will be on primetime a lot. Also, it helps that the AFCE plays the NFCE and the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys are strong possibilities for primetime matchups. Add in CIN/KC as well. The Bills will not only get a lot of primetime games, but they will be the national game of the week on Sunday afternoon a few times as well.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Gregg

[SoCal Deek]

Since I’m able to watch every single game, and have been for at least twenty years, I couldn’t care less how many are on national television. I’m not sure why anyone does. 

[djp14150]

1 hour ago, corta765 said:

 

Yea that is a new wrinkle as is the flexing of MNF games this year. I can easily see the Bills starting with four night games (2 MNF, TNF, SNF) and then the back end of the season from week 12-13 on you see matchups either division or in conference that have the ability to get moved so were not stuck with the Broncos flaming out like last year.

 

i think scheduling will not put KC-BUF-CIN games in late devember.

 

this year had buffalo best minnesota or jets or dolphins and they were two games up on Cincy thry woukd have rested thrir starters  knowing they could face them in the playoffs so why show the playbook.

 

i expect the final 7 games of the season to be

 

3 division games

road game at chargers, at eagles ( early december )

hosting jacksonville , den/ raiders non London game 

 

jacksonville an chargers game could be one of those flex Saturday games