Kenny Albert is not worried that the NFL’s growing list of game windows will leave Sunday afternoon football empty. Speaking recently, the longtime broadcaster said the league’s schedule may keep expanding across the week, but the traditional Sunday inventory should still hold its place.
That matters because the NFL has spread games into more corners of the calendar in recent years, from Thursday nights to international matchups to holiday windows and streaming-exclusive broadcasts. But Albert’s view is straightforward: with 32 teams and a weekly slate that usually ranges from 13 to 16 games depending on the bye schedule, Sunday remains the league’s center of gravity.
Why Sunday still looks safe
Albert said he believes the majority of NFL games will always be played on Sundays, at least in our lifetimes. He also said he would expect 8-10 games to remain on Sundays, even as the league continues to make room for new broadcast partners and new time slots.
That argument is rooted in both math and market reality. The NFL has to place a large number of games somewhere each week, and Sunday afternoon remains the most natural home for the bulk of them. Even if the league keeps adding standalone games on Thursday, Friday, Monday and special event weekends, Albert does not see the traditional Sunday window disappearing.
More windows, more money, more broadcasts
Albert also noted that new partners such as Amazon and Netflix have been a positive development for the league and its television ecosystem. In his view, the added packages have created more rights fees for the league and the owners while also keeping more people working on the broadcast side.
That is the business reality behind the schedule changes. The NFL is still the NFL, and Albert’s point is that the product is strong enough to support more inventory without losing its core appeal. He said that as long as there are this many teams, and even possible expansion down the road, the league will need places to put every game.
Week 12 offers a small example of how that calendar can already look. Even with no teams on a bye, the week is down to 10 Sunday games, a reminder that the league is clearly willing to shift matchups away from the traditional afternoon slate when it wants to.
Albert expects more change over the next decade and the next two decades, but he does not believe the NFL’s schedule growth will dilute the league’s product in any lasting way. His view is that the league is simply too strong, too popular and too flexible for Sunday football to be left barren.
