You’re sitting on the couch in mid-October. You want more football. Sunday is great, but wouldn’t a Saturday night matchup with a cold beer just hit different? You check the schedule. Nothing. Just college kids playing in half-empty stadiums or massive state-school rivalry games. You wonder why the most powerful sports league in the world is leaving all that Saturday money on the table.
The answer isn't about tradition. It's not about "giving the players a rest."
It’s actually about a law from 1961 that basically tells Roger Goodell: "Stay in your lane, or we’ll take your tax breaks away."
Knowing when does the nfl start saturday games is one thing, but understanding the legal hostage situation behind it makes the late-season schedule a lot more interesting. For the 2025-2026 season, the NFL didn't touch Saturdays until mid-December. Specifically, the real action kicked off in Week 16, right around December 20, 2024. But why then? Why not sooner?
The Law That Keeps the NFL Off Your Saturday
Most fans think the NFL just "respects" college football. That’s adorable. In reality, the league is bound by the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
Back in the early 60s, the NFL was trying to figure out how to sell its TV rights as one big package. The problem? Antitrust laws. A judge actually ruled that the NFL’s plan was illegal because it killed competition between teams for TV deals. Congress stepped in to save the league’s bottom line, but they attached a massive "poison pill."
The deal was simple: The NFL gets its antitrust exemption, which lets it sign multibillion-dollar deals with CBS, FOX, and NBC. In exchange, the NFL cannot broadcast games on Fridays after 6:00 p.m. or any time on Saturdays from the second Friday in September through the second Saturday in December.
This law was designed to protect high school and college football attendance. If the NFL showed up on a Friday night, your local high school game would be a ghost town. If they played on Saturday afternoon, the SEC and Big Ten would lose millions in eyeballs.
So, basically, the government told the NFL: "You can have your monopoly, but you can't bully the kids."
Why December Changes Everything
Once we hit that second Saturday in December—which fell on December 13 in 2025—the legal handcuffs come off. The regular college football season is mostly wrapped up. The conference championships are done. Suddenly, the "no-fly zone" vanishes.
This is why you see the NFL schedule get weirdly flexible late in the year. For the current season, when does the nfl start saturday games became a reality in Week 16. We saw a massive doubleheader on Saturday, December 20, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles traveling to the Washington Commanders at 5:00 p.m. ET, followed by a classic rivalry: Green Bay at Chicago at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Both of those games aired on FOX. It wasn't just a random choice; it was the NFL reclaiming its territory the second the law allowed it.
The Flexible Scheduling Headache
If you’ve ever tried to plan a trip to a late-season game, you know the frustration. The NFL keeps several games listed as "TBD" (To Be Determined) for the Saturday slots.
They don't do this to annoy you. They do it to make sure the games on Saturday—which are usually stand-alone national broadcasts—actually matter. Nobody wants to watch two 4-10 teams play in a blizzard on a Saturday night.
For the 2025 season, the league utilized its "flex" powers heavily. For instance, in Week 16, they moved the Patriots and Ravens to Sunday Night Football on NBC while shifting the Saturday slots to high-stakes divisional matchups.
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- Week 15 (Dec 13): Usually the "soft launch" for Saturdays.
- Week 16 (Dec 20): The heavy hitters. Doubleheaders or tripleheaders.
- Week 17 (Dec 27): More Saturday action, like the Texans vs. Chargers at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Week 18 (Jan 3): The final chaos. Usually, two games with massive playoff implications get moved to Saturday to build hype for the Sunday finale.
The Streaming Loophole
Things got a bit spicy recently with Netflix and Amazon Prime entering the mix. Since the 1961 law specifically mentions "sponsored telecasting" on "television stations," there's been a lot of legal whispering about whether streaming services are exempt.
The NFL is playing it safe for now. Even when they put a game on a streamer like Peacock or Amazon on a "restricted" day (like Black Friday), they still broadcast it on local over-the-air stations in the home markets. This keeps them in compliance with the letter of the law while pushing the boundaries of the spirit of it.
What This Means for Your January
By the time we hit the playoffs in January 2026, the Saturday restriction is a distant memory. The Wild Card round is now a three-day extravaganza.
- Saturday: Two games (usually one afternoon, one primetime).
- Sunday: Three games (the traditional tripleheader).
- Monday: The "Monday Night Wild Card" game.
The Divisional Round continues this, with Saturday, January 17, 2026, hosting games like the Bills vs. Broncos and 49ers vs. Seahawks. At this point in the year, the NFL owns the calendar. They aren't hiding from college football anymore; they're the only show in town.
Actionable Tips for the Late-Season Fan
If you're trying to track when does the nfl start saturday games so you don't miss a kickoff, you need to be proactive. The schedule you see in May is not the schedule you get in December.
- Download the NFL App: It sounds basic, but they push notifications for "Flex" changes 12 days in advance.
- Check Week 15-18 TBDs: If you see a game listed with no time on a Saturday, that’s a "Flex" candidate. Don't book your non-refundable flights for Saturday morning yet.
- Watch the "Cross-Flex" Rules: Remember that FOX and CBS can now "trade" games. Just because your team is AFC doesn't mean they'll be on CBS on Saturday.
- Keep an eye on the 1961 Act: There is ongoing lobbying to modernize the Sports Broadcasting Act. If it ever gets repealed or narrowed, expect NFL games on Saturdays and Fridays starting in September.
The NFL's move to Saturday is a sign that the "real" season has begun. The weather is colder, the stakes are higher, and the legal barriers have finally crumbled. Mark your calendar for mid-December, because that's when the one-day-a-week tradition officially ends and the playoff sprint begins.
Start checking the Week 18 "TBD" slots now. Usually, by Tuesday of Week 17, the league will announce which games are moving to that final Saturday. If your team is fighting for a Wild Card spot, there is a 50/50 chance they'll be playing on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Next Step: Check your team's specific Week 18 status on the official NFL schedule page to see if they are currently listed as a "Flex" candidate for the January 3rd Saturday window.