5 suggestions to improve the NFL
By John Buhler
3. London games need to be played under the lights
The NFL is dead set on having games be played in London in perpetuity. Nobody really asked for it to happen, so it is up the NFL and the NFL alone to ensure that this television product is top-notch.
Three or four games a year in London is logistically possible, but why on Earth does the NFL feel the need to have these games start at 9:30 a.m. ET? Few folks on the East Coast remember that football is going on with those 9:30 a.m. ET start times until its halftime. People on the West Coast should not have to get up to watch a 6:30 a.m. ET kickoff…ever.
The best way to resolve this London issue is to make each kickoff start at 6:00 p.m. local time. That would make it 1:00 p.m. ET and 10:00 a.m. PT. American football fans would definitely tune in to watch that telecast coming from across the pond.
Having the games being played at night in London makes it all the more special. It would only feel like a 1:00 p.m. ET start for the NFL players participating in this series.
If the NFL makes those London matchups more intriguing, they could definitely be shown on either CBS or FOX. If not, well, they can show it on the NFL Network as a third option. The NFL made its bed with these London games, so it has to lie with them.