The NFL has made some changes to its rules regarding scheduling games for this season in order to give itself more flexibility in terms of boosting ratings and having big matchups that garner big ratings.
One of those tweaks came Monday when league owners approved a rule that would allow the league to flex Thursday night games.
Flexing for Thursday Night Football has just passed, per source 24-8.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2023
Flexing is something the NFL rarely does in practice, but when it does, it can have bad consequences for fans.
One issue is what happens to fans who have purchased tickets for games that have been rescheduled because of this rule.
This is a big reason why a lot of fans are unhappy with this rule change.
boobu
— Off-Season (@TheDailyRaven) May 22, 2023
Thursday night flex doesn’t sound like a great idea. Seems like a bad thing for the players and fans.
— Caleb ∞ (@AktomicGaming) May 22, 2023
Will I get a refund if the sport I’m going to is flexible?
— Impatient Jet Fan (@DYlan67500007) May 22, 2023
Some fans feel that with this rule, the NFL is favoring fans who watch games on television rather than those who attend games.
Thursday night games are bad all around.
First and foremost is player safety.
Secondly, the NFL is turning half the games into PPVs.— dave (@angry59) May 22, 2023
Just can’t see how this doesn’t affect the fans, fans buying tickets for the game may have problems expecting it to be on a Sunday when the game is now played on a weekday
— Facts on Facts (@factsonfactspod) May 22, 2023
The ratings for NFL games have reportedly increased somewhat over the years.
But in 2023, there’s no doubt that football is still America’s most popular sport, and if baseball is our national pastime, then soccer is clearly still our national obsession.
Flexing is a good option for sports leagues, as things can occasionally happen that look a lot less appealing like a marquee matchup, but please television viewers and fans who attend the game in person at the same time. Yes, it is not easy to talk.
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