The Buffalo Bills used to live in the NFL’s Sunday afternoon shadows. Since 2020, Buffalo has transformed into one of the league’s most watched teams on a national scale.
As Josh Allen’s rise turned the Bills into a contender, the television exposure followed right behind it. From Sunday Night Football spotlights to Thursday night dominance, the Bills have steadily become one of the NFL’s most featured franchises.
Here’s a look at how Buffalo’s television profile has evolved since 2018.
Back in 2018,
the Bills were still treated largely like a small-market team. Buffalo played 15 games in the traditional 1 p.m. Sunday time slot that season and made just one appearance in a primetime window. Fast forward a few years, and the shift becomes obvious.
By 2020, the Bills have been primetime gold. With the national 4:25 p.m. “Game of the Week” window also became increasingly common, by 2022, nearly half of Buffalo’s games were in a national time-slot.
That’s not accidental scheduling.
That’s the NFL telling you what Bills fans already knew, that Josh Allen is must watch television, and the Bills are going to deliver enormous ratings.
For a franchise that spent years fighting for relevance on the national stage, the Bills have now become one of the league’s safest bets for marquee games.
Average Bills Schedule Time-slots Since 2018 vs 2020
The most telling number might honestly be the decline in 1 p.m. games.
The Bills still play at 1 p.m. plenty, every AFC team does, but Buffalo is no longer a team the NFL hides there.
With the 2026 NFL Schedule release becoming an event in itself, speculation and predictions flood timelines all week. But tonight, when the schedule drops, if the last six year trend holds steady, the Bills should be at 1pm an estimated 8-9 times, 4pm on 3-4 occasions, Thursday Night Football 1-2 times, Saturday or Sunday Night Football 2 times, and Monday Night Football 1-2 times. We already know they won’t play internationally this year, but there’s still a small chance for a holiday time slot (based on historical trends).
The Bills own Thursday Night Football
One of the more incredible stats from the Josh Allen era has been Buffalo’s record on Thursday nights. Since 2018, the Bills are undefeated on Thursday Night Football. Whether it’s the short week of preparation, the energy of the primetime spotlight, or simply Allen playing his best on Thursday nights, Buffalo has consistently handled business in the Thursday window.
Which is obviously great news for Bills fans entering the NEW Highmark Stadium on Thursday, September 17th, 2026 for the Bills home opener against the Lions, hopeful that Josh Allen and the Bills continue their Thursday night dominance.
Heading into the inaugural season at Highmark Stadium in 2026, it would not be surprising to see Buffalo once again be near the top of the NFL in primetime and national-window appearances.
Because at this point, the Bills are still must-watch TV.
