The NFL has made a significant change to its season kickoff, moving it away from Labor Day weekend. In August 2000, the league announced that it would no longer start the season on this weekend, citing that people wanted to enjoy the last days of summer. From 2001 onwards, the NFL season began on the weekend after Labor Day.
However, despite the idea that football is a family-oriented sport, the reality is that it’s a business. The NFL determined that starting the season on Labor Day weekend was not beneficial for maximizing TV audiences as people were generally busy with end-of-summer activities. With talks of expanding the season to 18 games and adding a second bye week, the NFL may need to reconsider its stance on Labor Day weekend.
Technology has changed how people consume sports content, and this could be an opportunity for the NFL to make opening weekend a five-night event. Games could be played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Given that federal prohibition on Friday and Saturday games doesn’t begin until the second Friday in September, Labor Day weekend could be utilized for multiple standalone games.
While there is no indication that the NFL has revisited the idea of working on Labor Day weekend, it may be worth considering. Just as the league attracts large audiences on Thanksgiving and Christmas, opening weekend games on Labor Day could also draw in millions of viewers and generate significant revenue. By making
