NFL 2015 News: NFL To Expand Playoffs, Possibly Tie Expansion to Thursday Night TV Package
The NFL wants to expand its playoff tournament much in the way MLB did a few years ago, but it is a move that may not be very popular with its fans.
Currently 12 of the 32 NFL teams make the playoffs each season. Even with one of the lowest percentages of franchise making the post-season a team with a even or losing record seems to make the NFL playoffs each year. For this past NFL season the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers won their division and hosted a NFL playoff game while the 11-5 Detroit Lions had to go on the road in the first round of the playoffs.
The NFL wanted to expand the playoffs last season but put off that vote for a year. Now it looks like the league wants to wait one more year and tie the expanded playoffs to its Thursday Night TV package either to negotiate both things in the same year or possible link the expanded playoffs to Thursday night or just to get more profit out of one of its TV partners.
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The risk for the NFL is making its regular season less important. Leagues like the NBA and NHL where over half the teams make the post season render their regular season unattractive to sports fans. However the NFL has never been more popular and it is the duty of its commissioner to make the most money that he can. Expanding the playoffs by one round could be best way to do exactly that. It will also meet with less friction for the NFLPA than a regular season expansion to 18 games.
How the NFL expands the playoffs becomes the question. Adding one round to the current playoff system adds four teams to the post season tournament, meaning half of the NFL teams would then qualify.
