With the NFL’s full 2026 schedule released earlier this week, there were plenty of takeaways for NFL fans. But one of the biggest was that the league seems to be encroaching even further on midweek game territory. This season will feature the Week 1 season-opener between the Patriots and Seahawks on Wednesday, and a Wednesday night game on Thanksgiving Eve.
While many NFL fans are upset about the continued shift away from Sunday, which features the majority of the NFL action, the league has reasons for moving toward more action on non-traditional days. And while it may come as a surprise to many, one of the main reasons is the league’s belief that the increase in these games benefits fans.
“Giving more football to NFL fans is only a good thing,” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder told ESPN.
NFL says it’s following fan interest with its midweek games this season.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 15, 2026
“Every one of our [broadcast] partners was up,” Schroeder said of the 2025 season. “So I think as we look at balancing the collective distribution of our games, we think there’s opportunities to build on that in a selective way. And we’ve seen when we do that, our fans tune in and watch it.”
This season, the NFL will feature games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday during Thanksgiving Week, and during Christmas week, the league will play a Thursday game on Christmas Eve and three Friday games on Christmas before the normal slate of Sunday games and Monday night match-up.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFL reveals reason behind increase in midweek games for 2026 season
