The NFL has defended its approach to the 2026 schedule after criticism over a reduced number of Sunday afternoon games.
The league is set to have 197 Sunday afternoon games during the 2026 season. That is down from 198 in 2025 and 211 in 2021, according to figures cited in response to the latest schedule release.
NFL manager of broadcast planning and scheduling analytics Max St. John has defended the change, explaining that the league has to be more selective with its traditional Sunday windows.
NFL executive explains why Sunday schedule has changed
St. John addressed the issue while discussing the 2026 schedule and said the NFL has to be “strategic” when building out its Sunday afternoon slate.
The league has more factors to manage than a standard domestic schedule, with international games, bye weeks and standalone broadcast windows all affecting the number of games available on a Sunday afternoon.
St. John said: “One o’clock on Sunday is really the lifeblood of the NFL.”
That comment underlines the league’s position that the Sunday afternoon window remains central, even as the overall number of games in that slot has fallen.
The criticism has come because Sunday afternoon remains the most familiar viewing slot for many NFL fans.
But the league’s defence is that a smaller number of games does not necessarily mean a weaker Sunday product.
Instead, the NFL is presenting the move as a scheduling decision designed to protect the quality of key broadcast windows across the season.
2026 NFL schedule includes Wednesday opener and record international slate
The wider 2026 schedule shows why the traditional Sunday afternoon slate is being stretched in different directions.
The NFL has confirmed that the 2026 regular season will begin on Wednesday, September 9, with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
The game will be played at 8:20pm ET and is a rematch of Super Bowl LX. The 2026 season will also feature the league’s largest international schedule, with nine games played outside the United States.
Those games will be staged across several overseas markets, including Australia, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Mexico and Spain.
The NFL’s schedule announcement also includes more standalone games across weekday and holiday windows.
That creates a different shape to the regular season and reduces the number of fixtures that can sit in the traditional Sunday afternoon block.
The league is therefore balancing two priorities at once. It wants to keep Sunday afternoon as one of its core products, while also expanding the calendar through international games and major broadcast windows.
St. John’s comments make clear that the NFL still sees Sunday afternoon as central to the league’s identity.
The 2026 schedule also shows that the league is continuing to spread more of its games across the week as its global and broadcast commitments grow.
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