With the NFL heading to China in 2018, the league’s 99th season may actually commence with a game on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the 2018 campaign could begin in China on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, with the traditional Thursday night opener following later that same week. The move would give the teams making the trek extra time to recover before their Week Two games.
The 49ers and Rams reportedly will play in China that year. If either wins the Super Bowl to cap the 2017 season, that would require the NFL to adjust the usual Thursday night opener featuring the defending Super Bowl champion.
A separate question becomes the timing of kickoff. With the Far East 12 hours ahead of the East Coast, a prime-time game in China would mean a morning start in America. And, obviously, a prime-time game in the U.S. would entail an early-morning kickoff in China.
These logistical issues demonstrate the practical challenges the NFL will face if it hopes to make a game in China a regular occurrence. Presumably, the NFL does. Because the NFL will make a lot more money if it ever becomes even remotely as popular elsewhere as it is in the United States.
