What changes to expect with the 2023 NFL schedule release

As the NFL makes everyone wait for Thursday’s official schedule release to find out specific dates and times for its 18-week, 272-game slate, there are a few things that will be noticeably different about the 2023 season.

Below are the biggest changes fans should know about ahead of the NFL schedule release:

Monday tripleheader on Christmas day

Typically, the NFL has scheduled just two games on Christmas when it falls on a Monday (see 2006 and 2017), but after seeing a 14.5 percent ratings surge for Christmas games in 2022, the league will try its hand at an unprecedented Dec. 25 tripleheader. 

Last year’s Packers-Dolphins Christmas tilt averaged 25.9 million viewers — a top-10 regular-season game in terms of viewership — and NFL games on Christmas Day average approximately 22.9 million viewers. The league is well on its way to dethroning the NBA, which averages 4.27 million viewers during its Christmas games.

Prime time is not for everyone

The NFL is also doing away with its custom of featuring every team in prime time at least once. With television contracts and advertising revenue at a reported all-time high, the league is padding its bottom line by airing more competitive matchups with popular teams at the expense of featuring teams with bad records on national television.