The NFL has finally acknowledged what many fans have suspected: its Christmas week schedule is stretched about as thin as it can go. With eight standalone games packed around the holiday, the league is left with just a handful of matchups for the traditional Sunday afternoon window.
Mike North, the NFL's vice president of broadcast planning, didn't mince words when discussing the 2026 calendar. 'We're probably stretched about as thinly as we can go that week,' he told ProFootballTalk. The comment comes as the league continues to expand its footprint on major holidays, following a pattern that has already reshaped Thanksgiving week.
This year's Christmas lineup includes games on Christmas Eve for Amazon, three games on Christmas Day (two on Netflix and one on broadcast), plus two Saturday contests, Sunday night, and Monday night football. That leaves just eight games for Sunday afternoon, split between CBS and Fox. North acknowledged that each network might only have four games, but he insisted the schedule still works. 'We're still gonna be able to make a half-decent map out of the 1:00 window,' he said. 'We've still got a game at 4:25 that should have playoff implications.'
The league's commitment to holiday football is unwavering, even as critics question the impact on traditional Sunday lineups. North emphasized that fan demand drives the decision. 'Fans vote with their remotes. They've shown us an interest in watching NFL games on Christmas,' he said. The NFL's holiday push isn't limited to Christmas either. Thanksgiving week will feature seven standalone games, with nine more on Sunday afternoon.
The schedule crunch has drawn attention from outside the league as well. Senator Baldwin recently blasted the NFL over its 2026 holiday schedule, demanding free access for fans. Meanwhile, the league's aggressive scheduling has sparked debate about whether it's prioritizing quantity over quality. But North remains confident that the product holds up, even when resources are stretched. 'We still feel like checking the box and meeting the needs of the fans on Sunday afternoon,' he said.
The NFL's holiday strategy isn't new. The league has long used Thanksgiving as a showcase, and Christmas has become an increasingly important date on the calendar. This year's schedule reflects that trend, with games spread across multiple days and platforms. The approach has drawn mixed reactions from fans, some of whom love the extra football while others lament the dilution of the traditional Sunday slate.
For now, the NFL is doubling down. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league office have made it clear they intend to own these special dates. As North put it, 'Maybe they only have four games each, or something like that, but we're still gonna be able to make a half-decent map.' Whether that's enough to satisfy fans remains to be seen, but the league is betting that holiday football is a winning formula.
The 2026 schedule also features a brutal early stretch for some teams, as noted by Colin Cowherd, who claims the NFL quietly punished the Broncos with a tough start. And fans are already buzzing about the Thanksgiving slate, with many calling the lineup 'ridiculous' in a good way. As the league continues to push boundaries, one thing is clear: the NFL is all-in on holiday football, even if it means stretching the schedule to its breaking point.
