NFL exec: Detroit Lions 'have played their way into bigger national television windows'
"We look at the data where we can to be informed," NFL executive vice president for media distribution Hans Schroeder said. "It told us there's a lot more fans that are home, that are back from wherever they are Thanksgiving morning to be on their couches and being able to watch. So that felt like a really obvious thing from the media perspective."
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Traditionally, the Lions have started the NFL's Thanksgiving slate with a 12:30 p.m. kick. The Dallas Cowboys play in the 4:30 p.m. window, and the NFL added a rotating Thanksgiving night game in 2006.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16), defensive tackle DJ Reader (98), wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26), linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad (69) celebrate their win against the Chicago Bears with a turkey drumstick after winning 23-20 on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
While the Cowboys have typically had the most-watched Thanksgiving game, the Lions-Chicago Bears game last year averaged 37.5 million viewers, a smidge below the Cowboys-New York Giants game (38.8 million).
Schroeder said the league saw a significant spike up in viewership in the Lions-Bears game after 1 p.m.
The Lions host the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving this season.
LET'S MAKE PICKS: Detroit Lions 2025 schedule predictions: Game-by-game picks, final record
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"I think from 2:30 on that Chicago-Lions game was above 40 million viewers," Schroeder said. "I think the game averaged a little bit over 37 million viewers for the entirety of it. And so when we saw the numbers that broke it down by quarter hour at 12:30, I think it was in the mid-20s and maybe climbed to the higher-20s by 12:45, we just saw, hey, it was at a much higher level from 1 o'clock on."
The Lions played the most-watched games on CBS, Fox, ABC and Amazon last season, team president Rod Wood said in March, and had the second most-watched game on NBC.
As one of the NFL's best, most exciting teams – they went a franchise-record 15-2 and led the league in scoring last year – NFL vice president for broadcast planning Mike North said the Lions were an easy choice for primetime and national-TV games this season.
Detroit Lions offensive players huddle before a snap against Green Bay Packers during the first half at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
The Lions play two Monday, two Sunday and one Thursday night game this fall, plus have games on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Eight of their nine road games are currently scheduled for 4:25 p.m. or later starts, and the ninth, their season finale against the Bears, is TBD like all Week 18 games.
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The Lions play seven 2024 playoff teams on the road this fall: The Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Packers. Their other road opponents, the Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, also are playoff contenders.
"It's not just about do we think they're going to be better? We don't know. None of us know," North said. "But our broadcast partners do. And so when we meet with all the broadcast partners at the beginning of this process and they make their list of, 'Hey, here's some of the games and some of the teams that we'd most be interested in,' obviously you've got your healthy dose of Dallas and Kansas City on there, but a definite representation, Lions, Washington, Denver, teams that have played their way into bigger national television windows.
"And so that's why you do find more of those teams being more represented. Not just cause we think they're going to be better, but because our broadcast partners are eager to showcase them in big windows."
As for the later Thanksgiving kick, Schroeder said the Lions were all in favor of moving the start time back to give fans more time to get home or to Ford Field after Detroit's Thanksgiving parade.
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"I think they fully embraced moving that kick back till 1 o'clock as well," Schroeder said. "It works better locally, it definitely works better from the fans watching around the rest of the country so we love that as a win-win situation that's hopefully better for football fans everywhere."
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving game moved to 1 p.m. start time
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