Did Thursday Night Football Just Become Must-See TV?
I’m a huge NFL fan.
Have been since I was a kid rooting on the John-Elway-led Broncos.
And even though I look forward to NFL games more than any other sport’s or league’s games, Thursday Night Football has mostly felt… boring.
Not completely unwatchable. Just flat.
Games I’d put on because football is on, but usually not because I couldn’t miss it.
That’s why last night stood out so much to me.
For the first time in a long time, Thursday felt different.
(I broke this down more in this video.)
When a Game Feels Bigger Than the Slot
Last night’s Seahawks–Rams game wasn’t just entertaining.
It was downright riveting.
First place in the division on the line.
A 16-point fourth-quarter comeback (including the craziest successful two-point conversion I’ve ever seen!)
Overtime heroics.
It finally felt like Thursday delivered on what the brand had always hoped for: high stakes, emotion, and entertainment.
That’s not a small thing.
Sports brands aren’t built on availability; they’re built on anticipation.
You Can’t Script Moments, But You Can Capitalize on Them
Clearly, moments like that can’t be scripted.
The NFL can’t manufacture chaos.
It can’t guarantee drama.
It can’t promise a classic every week.
But from a brand perspective, moments like this can absolutely be recognized — and more importantly, capitalized upon.
That’s the real opportunity right now for Thursday Night Football.
Not to chase what happened last night. But to build around the fact that it happened.
Why This Moment Matters for the TNF Brand
For years, TNF has felt like a compromise.
Short weeks for the players, who rarely looked fully rested and sharp.
Inconsistent matchups, and often, completely putrid ones.
Last night cracked that perception.
It felt like a stage.
A night where stars showed up. Where pressure mattered. Where outcomes meant something.
And that’s how perception changes. Not through campaigns or slogans, but through moments people talk about the next morning.
The Real Play: Don’t Let Us Forget
There’s an opportunity here that, in my opinion, hasn’t really existed before for TNF:
Never let us fans forget what happened last night between the Seahawks and Rams.
And just as importantly…
Never let us forget that it happened on Thursday Night Football.
That doesn’t mean overhyping every upcoming game. It just means being intentional.
It has to happen through storytelling and emotion.
Where This Also Shows Up: Athlete Branding
Moments like last night aren’t just opportunities for the league. They’re also enormous opportunities for the players.
The 24 hours after a game like that are where trust can be built.
(I shared more about this for athletes in this video.)
Seahawks players, Rams players — any athlete in a game that emotional — has a window to show:
the relief
the joy
the frustration
the leadership
the humanity
Those moments compound over time. And that’s how athlete brands are actually built.
A Turning Point, If It’s Handled Right
We may very well look back on last night as just a great game.
Or…
We might look back on it as the night Thursday Night Football finally became must-see TV.
The difference won’t be the game itself.
It’ll be what the league — and its athletes — choose to do after it.
