Jets-Eagles Draws Massive Audience, Which Isn't Necessarily Great News For Fans

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The New York Jets upset the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon/evening, depending on your location. Millions upon millions tuned in to watch. Over 26 million, in fact. It was the most-watched broadcast -- of any kind -- since the Super Bowl in February.

Many thought that the networks were losing their minds after Aaron Rodgers got hurt. After all, no team had more scheduled primetime games than the Jets. Except, the networks aren't seeing the negative impact that many predicted.

Quite the contrary. The New York Jets have been involved in each of the three highest-rated games during this NFL season. Without Rodgers.

One of the three games was the "Taylor Swift Bowl" against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. The other was the Week 2 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. Like the game against the Eagles, that match also occurred during the late afternoon window Sunday.

Usually, the biggest ratings winners for the NFL come during Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football. The "island" games. But, this year the late-afternoon window has been a boon for CBS and Fox. Particularly Fox.

Therein lies the rub for many NFL fans, like myself. The league is basically turning the late-afternoon games into a pseudo-primetime matchup.

Yes, other games occur at the same time. Except, the league generally puts undesirable games in those slots and feeds the country one big game. Like Eagles-Jets. Or, anything involving the Cowboys.

Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and Zach Wilson of the New York Jets embrace after the game at MetLife Stadium on October 15, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and Zach Wilson of the New York Jets embrace after the game at MetLife Stadium on October 15, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

What that means is that the league isn't going to stop doing that because it works for them. Unfortunately for fans, that means massive swaths of games on during the early-afternoon window.

In Weeks 1 and 2, that meant eight simultaneous kickoffs. In Weeks 3 and 4, it means nine.

NINE! Nine NFL games happening at the same time. Thank God for NFL RedZone, am I right?

Even still, many like me complain about this. Why not split the games more evenly between the early afternoon and the late afternoon?

Well, now we know. Because the less games in the late-afternoon, the more money the NFL and TV networks make.

Sure, it might be worse for the fans. But it's better for the bottom line.

Guess which one the league cares about more?

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.