Every year, millions tune in to watch the annual Thanksgiving NFL games
The Thanksgiving tradition began back in 1876, when the Intercollegiate Football Association began hosting their championship game on the holiday.
The rise of Thanksgiving, then, is almost congruent with the rise of football:
Andrews said, and in turn football made Thanksgiving a little more secular and more widely appealing.
This holiday in which we’re celebrating community, I think it makes sense that football would seamlessly fit into that culture.”
NFL teams began playing on Thanksgiving to increase their popularity