The NFL schedule release has become one of the most anticipated announcements of the year in sports media. With there being more nationally televised and primetime games than ever before, each network will took to have the best and strongest slate of games possible. Now that there are multiple streaming platforms in the mix, it’s an even more competitive landscape?
Of course, the NFL’s famous parity will caused many teams and predictions to turn upside down. But as we sit here in May 2024, which network looks like it has the best schedule for the coming season? We asked our staff for their choices.
Matt Clapp: I’m going with NBC. This is a loaded SNF slate, and the first month is particularly intriguing: Ravens-Chiefs (probably the two best teams in the AFC, maybe the entire NFL), Lions-Rams (so many storylines there), Bears-Texans (Caleb Williams vs. C.J. Stroud), Chiefs-Falcons (Patrick Mahomes vs new Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins), and Bills-Ravens (an AFC clash with Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson). Additionally, if we want to count Peacock as part of the NBC package, there’s the Packers-Eagles Week 1 game in Brazil.
Having an excellent slate early in the season is such a big deal for these networks; injuries, surprises, and disappointments will change how we view much of the late-season schedule around the league. The first several weeks appear to be good bets to be excellent matchups for NBC, and the October-December games currently form a strong lineup too.
Ben Axelrod: Even though they only got two games, I think Netflix is the clear winner in this year’s scheduling cycle. The streamer isn’t even a league partner and it found a way to not only grab two premier games, but establish itself as the home of the NFL during a standalone day on the schedule. At this point, it’s clear that the NFL has plans to make Christmas Day its own — if it hasn’t already. And it’s fairly significant that Netflix will be the home of those games as it finally makes its highly anticipated push into live sports.
Chris Novak: I believe NBC won the schedule release, so to speak, this year. Their slate just feels bigger and more star-studded. Lamar-Mahomes and Lamar-Allen both get featured as two big AFC QB battles, there’s a playoff rematch (LA-Det) and new stars featured (Bears-Texans). Your prestige rivalries like Steelers-Cowboys and Cowboys-Niners later on will likely come through. Niners-Bills is especially fun too. There are maybe too many Jets games, but overall, the quality outweighs the rest.
Brandon Contes: ESPN won the NFL schedule release with its slate of Monday Night Football games. The biggest downside for MNF is only boasting two divisional games, although that still betters NBC’s lone divisional matchup for Sunday Night Football. But ESPN makes up for their lack of divisional games with star power. Jets-49ers in Week 1 is a whopper and it gives ESPN a redo of Aaron Rodgers’ debut for the Jets. ESPN gets the lightning rod that is Rodgers and the Jets twice (one being a divisional game against the Bills), the Chiefs twice, Bengals-Cowboys, a battle of Texas with the Cowboys and Texans, an NFC Title game rematch with the Lions and 49ers, and one of the season’s most intriguing matchups in the Harbaugh Bowl.
Let’s not forget, we’re not too far removed from ESPN getting C-list games for Monday Night Football while they struggled to find any continuity in the broadcast booth. But now that they boast Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and the Manningcast, Monday Night Football is back to being must-see TV, and they have the games to prove it.
Andrew Bucholtz: The Amazon schedule stands out to me for being better than expected. Some highlights include Aaron Rodgers and the Jets against the Patriots in Week 3, Cowboys-Giants in Week 4, Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans in Week 7, and Packers-Lions in Week 14. The Thursday night package still isn’t as strong overall as Sunday or Monday, but it seems to be closing the gap a bit, and that may diminish some of the complaints we’ve seen there.