Sources say the NFL plans to expand the regular season to 17 games in 2021 – a historic move that will generate new revenue and the expected drop in payroll revenue next year could soften a bit.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL will have to negotiate at least one new media deal to gain access to 17 games in 2021, so no announcements can come in months, if not weeks. But a team source familiar with the discussion said: “We all expect that to happen.”
In turn, the bias will be cut into either two or three games. There will still be one week per club, with the total regular season lengthening to 18 weeks and extending the Super Bowl to the second week of February.
The NFL has played a regular 16-game season since 1978, when it added two games to each team’s schedule. The new CBA has been finalized this past March, with leagues and / or clubs having the discretion to increase the number of regular-season games per club to 17 – but not more – with a reduction in numbers at any one time. No more than three preseason games.
Although there has always been support for moving forward in 17 games since then, the lack of an estimated multibillion-dollar lar income due to the COVID-19 epidemic has exacerbated the urgency of the situation for both NFL owners and players ’unions. The two sides struck a deal in August Gust that spreads accounts for years of deficits and prevents wage income from falling below 17 175 million in 2021 – up from 198 198.2 million this year.
According to a source in 2021, the cap is still expected to drop significantly, but the 17th game as part of a new media deal could boost it to the top of 17 175 million. The union’s share of all revenue was already set to rise from 47 percent to 48 percent in 2021, and moving forward in 17 games with a new media deal launches a “media kicker” at the top that increases players ’share.
Despite a new media deal and a specific deadline for finalizing the 17-game schedule, schedule releases – which usually occur in April or May – are a logical goal.
Going into 17 games, will also open up a possible new neutral-site and inventory for international sports. NFL Already the U.K. And playing regular games in Mexico and watching possible games in Canada, China, Japan, Germany and Brazil.
NFL The owners did not vote in their virtual meeting on December 16 to go to 17 games, but approved the scheduling proceedings. Each team from next season on a divisional position and on a rotating divisional basis – AFC vs. NFC. – An additional interconference match will be played.
