A general overall view of the NFL Shield logo at midfield. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Teams may petition NFL to be permanent host of Black Friday game

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 11/20/23

When the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets play the day after Thanksgiving, it’ll make NFL history.

Not only will it be the first-ever Black Friday game, but it’ll also be the first time any NFL game has been played on Friday — a day that’s typically reserved for high school football.

According to NBC Sports’ Peter King, the game is expected to draw huge ratings, which could prompt a few teams to petition the league to be the permanent hosts of the Black Friday game.

“Prediction: Ratings will be gold, and just like the Cowboys and Lions with the annual Thanksgiving games, more than one team will lobby the NFL to be the permanent host on Black Friday afternoon,” King stated.

Amazon has generated significant excitement among advertisers for its upcoming Black Friday game, with some media buyers comparing it to a mini Super Bowl.

How Amazon is building its own Super Bowl with its Black Friday game. ⬇️ https://t.co/cON5j6oQhc
— Ad Age (@adage) November 17, 2023

When the game was first announced earlier this year, the NFL's vice president of broadcast planning Mike North disclosed that the Cincinnati Bengals had actually offered to not only be the inaugural hosts but to do so on a yearly basis.

“The Bengals actually raised their hand and volunteered and said, 'We'd be happy to host the first Black Friday game,’” North said, via ESPN. “’In fact, we'd be happy to make this a tradition. How about Black Friday in Cincinnati every year?' I'm sure that will be something we explore moving forward."

However, the NFL elected to have the Jets host their AFC North rival the Miami Dolphins because it was expected Aaron Rodgers would be playing quarterback for them. Rodgers versus Tua Tagovailoa in a shootout would have surely drawn a large audience.

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