What could be better than grabbing a big plate of food and gathering around the television to watch football with your family? The NFL has played games on Thanksgiving since the league’s inception in 1920, meaning this tradition dates back more than 100 years.
While there are now three NFL games on Thanksgiving, that hasn’t changed the fact that the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are always scheduled to play on the holiday. But why? Let’s delve into how this tradition started, when it began, and more.
Examining Why the Detroit Lions Play on Thanksgiving
The Lions organization gets the credit for starting this tradition.
When Detroit faces the Chicago Bears on Thursday, it will mark the 85th time that the Lions have hosted a game on Thanksgiving. The club refers to the annual game as the Thanksgiving Day Classic, and it was created by owner George A. Richards in 1934.
Richards had just bought the Portsmouth Spartans and moved them to Detroit to become the Lions, so he was searching for ways to build the team’s fanbase. One idea to draw some attention was scheduling a football game on Thanksgiving.
The inaugural Thanksgiving Day Classic was a matchup between the Lions and Bears. Since Richards owned the Detroit radio station WJR, he had a lot of contacts in the radio industry, which he used to get Lions-Bears broadcast live coast-to-coast across 94 stations. Richards believed that these broadcasts would not only increase the Lions’ popularity but also provide some excellent exposure for the NFL, and he was correct.
While the Lions ultimately lost to the Bears 19-16, the game was considered a huge success, as it was the club’s first-ever soldout game. There were 26,000 fans in attendance and many people listened to the game over the radio.
Thus, a tradition was born. The Lions have hosted a game every year on the holiday, with the exception of 1939-1944 due to World War II.
Examining Why the Dallas Cowboys Play on Thanksgiving
In 1966, Cowboys president and GM Tex Schramm was also searching for ways to get his franchise more national attention. Considering how well playing on Thanksgiving worked out for Richards and the Lions, he decided his team should play on the holiday as well.
The Cowboys played their first Thanksgiving game against the Cleveland Browns and won 26-14 in front of a crowd of about 80,000 fans.
Since then, Dallas has played on the holiday every year except 1975 and 1977, since the NFL decided to schedule the then-St. Louis Cardinals on Thanksgiving instead to see if they could have similar luck generating interest as the Lions and Cowboys.
2024 NFL Thanksgiving Games Schedule
This year, NFL fans will be able to enjoy three divisional matchups. Here’s the complete schedule for Thursday’s contests.
Game 1: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
- Time: 12:30 PM ET
- Channel: CBS/Paramount+
Game 2: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Time: 4:30 PM ET
- Channel: FOX
Game 3: Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers
- Time: 8:20 PM ET
- Channel: NBC/Peacock
The day kicks off with the Detroit Lions, a Thanksgiving tradition since 1934. Detroit will take No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
Then, the Dallas Cowboys will take center stage, a custom dating back to 1966. The Cowboys will face the New York Giants in the afternoon slot.
The evening concludes with a thrilling primetime game between the Miami Dolphins and Green Packers, rounding out a football-filled holiday.
How to Watch the NFL Thanksgiving Games 2024
There are several ways to tune in to this year’s NFL Thanksgiving Games:
- Cable/Satellite: FOX, CBS, and NBC will air the three games, ensuring wide accessibility for traditional TV viewers.
- Streaming: Paramount+ will air the Bears-Lions game, while Peacock will broadcast the Dolphins-Packers contest.
- Other Options: For cord-cutters, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV offer live access to the games. Some streaming services offer free trials for new users, which allow you to watch the games without a subscription.