The NFL has obviously found a first solution to cushion a little the drop in its revenues generated by COVID.
According to journalists from NFL Media, ie the league’s official website, the NFL plans to increase to 17 regular season games for each team in 2021. Our colleagues specify that there should be no announcement immediately. Because according to the collective agreement, the NFL must negotiate at least one new media contract to have the right to add a game to the season.
But apparently it’s all just a formality.
“We all expect that to happen,” said one team leader.
In return for this extension, the preseason would be reduced to 2 or 3 games instead of 4. With always one week of rest per team, the regular season would therefore now last 18 weeks, which would push back the Super Bowl to the second week of February. . The game added to each team would be a duel with a team from the opposite conference.
While the salary cap sits at $198.2 million this year, it was likely to drop as low as $175 million in 2021. With the addition of a game and corresponding revenue, the drop could be slightly less steep.
The NFL has played 16 games per regular season since 1978.
