The development of the NFL calendar is a job of lacemaker, with a limited number of matches which does not allow all the teams to meet, multiple broadcasters and the constraints of availability of the stadiums. Some 4,000 computers are used each year to sort through the billions of possible combinations, in order to ensure maximum TV audiences and the greatest possible fairness between the teams.
The calendar for the 2022 season, which will be announced on Thursday May 12, will undoubtedly have been even more complicated to develop than usual. In a report of Los Angeles Timeswho immersed himself in the kitchens of programming, NFL officials reveal that they had to resume their work following the thunderclap of the end of retirement of Tom Brady, the superstar of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“When Tom Brady retired, there were concerns about the quality of the NFC package (where the Buccaneers play) because there were so many great Tampa Bay games in sight, NFL programming manager Howard Katz told the California daily. Then a month later, he ended his retirement, and we kind of had to start all over again. »
The League took its time in announcing the program, revealing the list of opponents for each team in January, then only a few matches in dribs and drabs.
