The start time of Sunday’s divisional round playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs was pushed back seven hours due to a predicted ice storm, and the NFL is interested to see if the later start time leads to a ratings boost.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL will consider scheduling future playoff games in primetime on Sunday if the Steelers-Chiefs game draws good ratings. Typically there is one early afternoon game and one later afternoon game on Sundays during the playoffs, but the unexpected switch may prove to be beneficial.
Schefter cites industry sources who predict moving the game from 1 p.m. to closer to 8 p.m. could bring an extra 10 million viewers. The downside would be that playing on a Sunday night would give the winning team less time to prepare for the next playoff game, but conflicts like that have never stopped the NFL in the past.
The NFL has taken some heat this season over the way games are scheduled, with some controversy surrounding Thursday Night Football in recent weeks. But as we know, it’s all about the ratings.
