The NFL has made a couple of changes to the schedule in Week Eight.
The Packers were scheduled to start their game in Atlanta at 1:00 p.m. ET, but the league appears to see a matchup with the 4-1 Falcons as being worthy of a few more eyeballs. The Packers and Falcons will now get underway at 4:25 p.m. ET and will be FOX’s only game in that time period.
The Cardinals and Panthers were scheduled to be in that slot, but they’ll now move to the earlier kickoff. Neither of last year’s NFC title game participants has gotten off to a good start this season, while the Falcons are 4-1 heading into this weekend’s trip to Seattle and the Packers are 3-1 after beating the Giants last Sunday night.
Ratings for television broadcasts of NFL games have been a big storyline through the first five weeks of the season as numbers have been down around the league. Moving the Packers-Falcons game suggests the league thinks it will draw the most eyeballs on October 30.