The Ravens-Steelers game on Wednesday will serve as a lead-in to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Ravens-Steelers game has early kickoff time for funny reason

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 11/30/20

The NFL postponed the Ravens-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 there's a funny reason behind it.

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 p.m. 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 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

So, yes, even the almighty NFL has superiors, and they happen to be their TV network partners. And in this case, the NFL has to start a game during the day because NBC has another program taking precedence.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: