Why the NFL is playing two Saturday games today, December 27, 2025, in Week 17

For the second week running in 2025, NFL regular season games will be played on a Saturday (December 27) in Week 17, with the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the Houston Texans (kickoff 4:30 p.m. ET) before the Baltimore Ravens visit the Green Bay Packers (7:00 p.m. ET).

Why are there rarely NFL regular season games on Saturdays?

Since the establishment of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, NFL regular season games are rarely played on Fridays or Saturdays.

The agreement prevents pro football games from being broadcast nationally on Friday nights (after 6:00 p.m.) or Saturdays between the second Friday in September and the second Saturday in December, with a view to protecting attendances at high school and college football. Technically, that’s only if the pro game is being played within 75 miles of at least one high school or college game, although that’s almost always the case.

The reason there are two NFL games this Saturday, December 27

With Christmas now behind us, we are now onto the fourth Saturday in December, which means the restrictions mentioned are no longer in place. That said, there are several College Football Playoffs games taking place this Saturday, so there is an overlap between college and pro football.

In recent times, the NFL has slated regular games on two Saturdays - a triple header in December and a double header in Week 18 - as part of its current television agreement. In the last two years, however, it has extended to three Saturdays despite previously stating it would retain from creating a schedule clash with the College Football Playoffs.

NFL continues new Saturday schedule

Last year’s Christmas Day games (Chiefs @ Steelers, Texans @ Ravens) were played on a Wednesday. The NFL typically avoided playing on Wednesday until Netflix stumped up $150 million to broadcast matchups on December 25 in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

As a result, the Chiefs, Texans, Steelers and Ravens then had to play on a Saturday to have the same turnaround - three days between games - as other teams in the league who were playing Sunday - Thursday.

With Christmas falling on a Thursday in 2025, there is no such issue, but the league has pressed ahead with its new Saturday schedule regardless.

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