The NFL is increasing the regular season to 17 games and reducing the preseason to three games to generate additional revenue for America’s most popular sport.
Team owners on Tuesday approved the 17th game as expected, marking the first time in 43 years the regular season has been increased.
It went from 14 to 16 games in 1978. The Super Bowl now will move back a week to Feb. 13, which places it directly in the middle of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Coincidentally, NBC has the broadcast rights to both. Each extra NFL game will be an interconference matchup based on where teams finished in the previous season.