Are you ready for some more flexed football?
After initially failing to pass amongst the owners, flex scheduling is coming this season to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” package on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the 24 of the 32 NFL owners voted in favor of the decision, with the Bears, Bengals, Giants, Jets, Lions, Packers, Raiders and Steelers voting in dissent.
The flexing will only apply for Weeks 13-17, that it can only happen with two games per season and that games that are flexed will have to do so with 28 days notice.
It is a big win for Amazon, which last year had several games late in the season that were such lemons that Al Michaels was openly groaning about them on the air.
It is a less welcome prospect for NFL fans who plan trips months in advance to see their favorite teams, who now face the possibility of a game they already purchased tickets, flights and hotels for get moved three days earlier, from the weekend to a weeknight.
Giants owner John Mara, one of the dissenting votes, expressed his disdain for the idea at NFL owners meetings back in March.
“I am adamantly opposed to that,” Mara told reporters at the time. “Flexible scheduling, as it is, is really inconsiderate to our season-ticket holders and the people who fill our stadiums every week. People have gotten used to going from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night [when a game is flexed]. That doesn’t mean that they like it. This year, we can be flexed to Monday night, which I think is really inconsiderate to our ticket holders.
Amazon launched its 11-year pact with the NFL last season, and is paying about $1 billion a year for the rights.