It’s schedule release day — or as my podcast cohost Alex Petakas sarcastically refers to it: “the day we learn the days.”
No doubt you’ll be inundated with schedule-related content, so I thought I’d offer a slightly different take on a related topic.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced that the Packers will face the Los Angeles Rams in the league’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, streamed exclusively on Netflix. The Packers remain one of the NFL’s most trusted television brands. So, much to my dismay,
it makes sense that they’d use the team to pilot a new primetime streaming slot.
The NFL does not hand out experimental showcase games randomly. When the league wants to dabble in a new broadcast idea (think holiday games, streaming exclusives, international showcases), it tends to rely on teams (or at least one team) that reliably draw national audiences. Despite being the league’s smallest market, Green Bay continues to fit that category.
That has become increasingly important as the NFL pushes deeper into streaming. Netflix already carries Christmas Day games, but the platform’s partnership with the league is expanding to include more major standalone events across the calendar, and it seems like the Packers are one of a few key teams at the center of that strategy.
The Packers consistently put an entertaining product on the field, but I think much of the appeal for the league is rooted in the fact that Packers fans consistently follow the team not just across the country and world, but across platforms. Consider me among those fans — someone who, over the years, has had to find ways to watch live Packers games in about 15 states and 2 countries. And, despite my grumbling, I always made it work. Touché, Roger. Touché.
One shameless plug on the way out: tonight, our own Tex Western will be recording a podcast to break down the full schedule release on Friday morning. You can check that out here, or subscribe to Frozen Tundra Frequencies wherever you get your podcasts.
Packers to debut new timeslot – Leave it to the NFL to invent a new holiday: Thanksgiving Eve.
Making the NFL’s complex schedule combines AI with a human touch – The NFL schedule involves AI, analytics and human judgment to balance TV ratings, fairness, travel and rivalries across 272 games.
Packers add journeyman cornerback off waivers from the Bills – Competition at cornerback will be rich for the Packers this summer.
Green Bay stays domestic – The NFL scheduled a record 9 international games for 2026, but the Packers are staying stateside.
Zebra apprehended by Ohio deputies – No, not a referee. A real zebra.
