NFL schedule-makers 'rely on' Bills and Josh Allen to draw America's interest

The Buffalo Bills and their star QB are valuable TV assets for the NFL as it builds its 2025 schedule

Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during a post-game interview after the game against the Baltimore Ravens in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Don't expect many 1 p.m. kickoffs for the Buffalo Bills in 2025.

By all indications, the Bills and their MVP quarterback Josh Allen are in line to be primetime darlings once again. When it comes to primetime games along with 4:25 p.m. featured windows, Buffalo is likely to reach double digits.

"For teams like Buffalo, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Dallas, Pittsburgh, you're talking about probably six, seven, eight, nine, ten nationally televised games," said NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North during his annual appearance with Buffalo media personality Sal Capaccio. "I think that's a team we're going to rely on really from Week 1 through Week 18.”

The Bills' first-place schedule means there will be head-to-head matchups against the Super Bowl LVIII champion Philadelphia Eagles and the runner-up Kansas City Chiefs. For obvious reasons, both games are likely to earn marquee billing for one of the NFL's broadcast partners.

Even when the Bills are facing a less-appealing opponent, there's still a good chance the game winds up in a featured window as long as Allen is playing.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Championship game | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"So, you don't necessarily need that big other brand to make a Bills game relevant. Every Bills game is relevant. Every Bills game matters," said North. "Josh has definitely ascended into that 'what did he do today?' sort of, you can't really get through a weekend of highlights and news and stats without checking on the Bills quarterback. And that's what being an MVP does. That's what winning football games does. Obviously, marrying the actress doesn't hurt."

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Matchups that may not seem overly appetizing may still land in primetime due to Buffalo's presence. One opponent that comes to mind are the AFC East rival New York Jets, who no longer have Aaron Rodgers but still reside in a massive media market.

"If they're playing the Jets, if they're playing the Dolphins ... all those games are going to matter," said North. "Now, you could see Buffalo pulling some of those guys along into bigger windows because of Josh, because of the team, because of their record, and because of their success.”

From listening to North on the It's Always Gameday in Buffalo podcast, it's clear that the Bills are as relevant as ever and America will have plenty of opportunities to see them in action.

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