Why Will the NFL Playoff Expansion Involve Nickelodeon?
Over the last several weeks, there has been growing chatter around the possibility of the NFL expanding its playoff format. That has centered on the addition of another team for each conference for the postseason. That dialogue continued to gather steam to receiving the vote be added to the mix for the 2020 season. In an intriguing twist to the situation, the NFL has included Nickelodeon being involved in their plans for the playoffs next year.
NFL approves playoff expansion
Since the start of the offseason, the proposed idea of the NFL expanding their playoff format to adding another team in each conference gained more steam.
That has led to the league revealing on Tuesday that change to occur for the 2020 season. That immediately means that there will be an added team in the mix for the postseason in both conferences, effectively bringing forth another playoff game.
The NFL will also transition to only the top seed in each conference having a first-round bye while the remaining division champions will vie for the next top three seeds (2,3,4) based on their record. The same will follow suit for the three wild card spots.
That will mean that the No.2 seed plays the No. 7 while the No.3 takes on No.6 and No.4 faces No. 5 for the first-round playoff matchups. It marks the first time since 1990 that the NFL has expanded the postseason picture, which then went from 10 to 12 teams.
The inclusion of additional first-round games has brought forth the unique opportunity for the NFL to appeal to their younger fan base.
Nickelodeon’s involvement in the NFL playoff expansion
The bottom-line nature of this move is to generate more money for the NFL, but it also presents another opportunity for them to reach their fan base.
In fact, the league has taken these additional first-round playoff games with one of them being broadcasted on Nickelodeon while it’s also shown on CBS. The NFL is arguably the most popular sport in the United States, and having the chance to show a postseason game tailored to children could benefit them greatly.
It’s the first move of its kind for any of the professional sports leagues as Nickelodeon has been a proponent of supporting the NFL over the years through various programs. Many of the game’s most popular talents such as Russell Wilson, Rob Gronkowski, Odell Beckham Jr., and Christian McCaffrey. That should make it quite interesting how the league decides to have the game telecasted for the children’s channel with their broadcast team.
There are likely many wrinkles to work out first on that end, but it could be a pivotal step toward other professional sports leagues to attempt that in the future.
The NFL’s move may open up more possibilities
It’s an entirely new avenue that the NFL will explore to see if there any viability with this approaching moving forward.
The league is looking to continue to expand its reach, and broadcasting a playoff game tailored to children could another way to further boost the popularity of the NFL and the game of football. There are many benefits this move could have beyond just the monetary gains from a wider net of the audience demographic to gather a stronger understanding of what works for their fan base.
It could also lead to a greater partnership with the network and potentially see others like the Disney Channel or Cartoon Network look to become involved in some form down the line. There are many different ways that this situation can transpire, but above all else, it provides more playoff games on the road to the Super Bowl.
