Fresh off of the success of the NFL Draft which saw viewership numbers reach a record high 55 million, the NFL, in conjunction with the NFL Network, has announced that the 2020 schedule will be released on Thursday, May 7 at 8 p.m.
The NFL Network will follow with a three hour special entitled Schedule Release ’20 with Verizon Wireless acting as the title sponsor for the show. During the ensuing three hour time slot, NFL Network analysts, which include former NFL players and executives, will break down the schedule for all 32 teams in the league, highlighting Primetime games and other key matchups throughout the season. In all, dates and times for all of the NFL’s 256 regular season games will be revealed.
In order to reach a wider audience, in addition to traditional television, the special can be streamed through the NFL Network app on smartphones, tablets and web connected televisions. NFL Network subscribers can also stream the show on the official NFL website.
Many personalities on the NFL Network have promoted the event on their twitter accounts, including reporter James Palmer and NFL Red Zone host Scott Hanson. The NFL Network also updated the header image on its official twitter account with the date and time of Schedule Release ’20 to make the information more readily accessible to their 3.9 million followers.
Several other outlets are reporting the NFL Network’s pending coverage of the 2020 schedule release, including the Sporting News, which adds that the event can also be accessed by Canadian viewers via live stream on the paid subscription service DAZN.
The COVID- 19 virus will alter the schedule slightly. The NFL has decided to move the five international games set for the United Kingdom and Mexico back to U.S. soil, the league announced in a press release on May 4. The NFL raised over 100 million dollars for COVID-19 relief efforts through the 2020 NFL Draft and will continue to promote that campaign during the Schedule Release ’20 special.
Story written by BSM contributor Jacob Conley. Follow him on Twitter @GWUJake.