Commentary

Instead Of Adding Games To The NFL, Add More Teams

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 22, 2021

For some time, the biggest TV franchise -- NFL Football -- has looked for ways to expand its footprint.

And why not? From a revenue and viewership point of view, the league soars over entertainment (scripted and unscripted) content and news programming -- and gained modest single digital percentage increases the last few years.

Games average some 16.5 million Nielsen-measured viewers. What non-sports TV shows can really compare?

For years, it was thought the NFL could just add more games to its schedule -- for each team. But the players union has something to say about this.

Seems another approach is not to add more games per team, rather add more teams -- this according to NBCSN’s Mike Florio. Raising the number of teams to as many as 40 from the current level of 32, could make a big difference. Possibly St.Louis and London (yes, that London) might be new franchise teams.

In addition, the NFL could sell another package of games -- though perhaps not adding another night of the week, a la the last iteration of “Thursday Night Football,” something players hate. They could expand to 16 playoff teams, which would mean higher-priced TV commercial ad revenues.

And the money keeps rolling in.

Standard Media Index says the 2020 TV season pulled in $3.4 billion in national TV advertising revenue among all the NFL national TV networks partners -- leaving out the Super Bowl. (Total day national TV advertising revenue for the big event is now valued at around $400 million.)

And we haven’t even talked about what sports betting advertising looks to bring to the league in future years.

Consider that new or re-launched rival pro league efforts continue to make repeated attempts to move in on the NFL's still-growing business -- albeit in different time periods of the year.

Fox Sports is starting with the USFL next spring. The XFL looks to get going again in 2023 with a different approach to its quickly shelved start 2020 -- mostly due to the pandemic.

In part, both leagues looked to cater to under-served markets. So perhaps the NFL should take matters into its own hands. Detractors may call it running up the score.

football, sports, tv

2 comments about "Instead Of Adding Games To The NFL, Add More Teams".

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John Grono from GAP Research, November 22, 2021 at 7:29 p.m.
Wayne, why not Women's NFL?

We have women's cricket, Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union etc. which have been traditional makle sports. These new ventures are growing rapidly and have respectable audiences considering they are not yet broadcast in prime-time.
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Ben B from Retired, November 23, 2021 at 11:33 p.m.

I doubt NFL will add 40 teams just my opinion and I doubt St. Louis will get another NFL team if they couldn't keep the Cards that moved to AZ & the Rams moving back to LA which the Rams should've never left LA. I don't see NFL adding any more teams Jags may move to London the only way they get a team.