The NFL postponed the Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 game until Wednesday so Baltimore would have some time to prepare for the game. But the kickoff time for the contest is an odd one, and that’s for a funny reason.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh were originally set to play on Thursday night. The game then got moved to Sunday, Monday, and ultimately Wednesday. The kickoff will be early in the day, which is unusual for a standalone, non-weekend game.
So why is the game kicking off at 3:40 pm ET and not later in the evening? According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, NBC is committed to broadcasting the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday evening. The NFL game got pushed earlier to avoid a conflict.
Another ultimate 2020 note: the Ravens-Steelers game is kicking off Wednesday at 3:40 pm because NBC wanted and was committed to broadcasting the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, per sources. Tree lighting trumped football.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2020
The “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” is scheduled to begin at 8 pm ET on Wednesday.
So, yes, even the almighty NFL has a superior, and that is their TV network partners. And in this case, they have to start a game during the day because NBC has another program taking precedence.
