I love NFL football just as much as the next person, but I’m getting a little frustrated with all the streaming services that I have to get in order to watch all the games. This year, “Thursday Night Football” is on Amazon Prime. Then, the NFL Network has been exclusively streaming a bunch of Saturday games. So, unless you’re in the home market of those teams, you’d have to get the NFL Network to watch those games or go to a local bar that carries them. Now, on top of that, this weekend’s Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers game is on Peacock. I just can’t keep up with all these streaming services. But, the good news is that the Bills-Chargers game this Saturday (Dec. 22) will include the NFL’s first commercial-free fourth quarter.
This is good news, because games get so packed with commercials. Most people who watch NFL football like to complain about the refs, and I’m not exempt from that, but the commercials can be a bit much, too. I don’t know what they’ll show during time outs and such during that fourth quarter. Maybe they’ll just show promos for Peacock, which is pretty much the same thing as watching commercials, if you ask me. But, at least it’s something different.
The Buffalo vs. Los Angeles game is one of two games scheduled for Saturday. The other game is the Cincinnati Bengals at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ stadium at 4:30 p.m. on NBC. Of these two games, the Bills-Chargers one is of most interest. If the Bills beat the Steelers, it would take the Bills from a 43% chance of making the playoffs to about a 66% chance. If they lose, that chance goes down to 18%.
Thankfully, most of the Christmas Eve games will be on regular, network TV. However, that evening’s New England at Denver game will air on the NFL Network at 8:15 p.m. That’s a bummer, but I don’t think many people care about that game. It’s not like New England is going to the playoffs this year. Meanwhile, Christmas Day games are also all available on Network television. Merry Christmas to us.
But, I really hope the NFL changes their policies next season and has more games on old-fashioned network TV. All of these streaming services really add up, and I’m so over buying a million streaming packages, on top of cable, which I also have. NFL peeps, if you’re listening, please give the fans what they want: Easily accessibly NFL football.
Find the full 2023 NFL Week 16 schedule here.
This weekend's Bills-Chargers game on Peacock will include the NFL’s first commercial-free 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/HbOHJI6SCb
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 21, 2023