NFL Thanksgiving Halftime Show Lineups and Broadcast Details
The NFL Thanksgiving Day slate in 2025 features three doubleheaders, with halftime performances integrated into the broadcast windows starting at 12:30 p.m. ET for the early game and 4:25 p.m. ET for the late game. The league continues its partnership with major broadcast networks, and the 2025 schedule follows the established rotation across Fox, CBS, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys hosting traditional afternoon contests. Network assignments and performance contracts are managed through the league's media rights agreements, which extend through the current cycle. The NFL's media distribution framework is detailed in its broadcast partnership overview NFL Media Relations.
Halftime show production budgets for NFL Thanksgiving games are funded by the broadcast networks rather than the league, with costs typically ranging from $2 million to $5 million per performance depending on stage design, pyrotechnics, and talent fees. The 2025 lineups have not been officially announced, but historical patterns indicate that the league prioritizes artists with broad demographic appeal and recent chart performance. The NFL's annual revenue from media rights exceeds $10 billion, and Thanksgiving games represent a high-value segment within that portfolio. Detailed financial breakdowns of NFL media deals are available in the league's public filings and partner announcements Forbes NFL Media Rights Analysis.
College Football Thanksgiving Halftime Shows and Scheduling
College football Thanksgiving programming in 2025 includes rivalry games such as the Apple Cup and the SEC/Big 12 matchups, with halftime entertainment produced by the host conferences and broadcast partners. The NCAA does not centrally schedule halftime shows, leaving production to individual schools and networks, which results in variable formats ranging from marching band exhibitions to contracted musical acts. The 2025 college football season culminates in late November, with bowl game announcements following the conclusion of the regular season. The NCAA's official broadcast and event information is published on its media site NCAA News and Broadcasts.
Conference-level media rights deals influence the visibility and production quality of college Thanksgiving halftime segments, with the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC commanding the largest broadcast shares. The 2025 schedule includes several primetime Friday night contests, though the traditional afternoon rivalry games remain the focal point of Thanksgiving Day college programming. Revenue from conference media rights is distributed based on viewership metrics, with the College Football Playoff expansion model affecting long-term payout structures. The SEC's media rights agreement and distribution model are documented in its public communications SEC Sports Media Information.
Viewership Data, Advertising Rates, and Economic Impact
Nielsen ratings for Thanksgiving 2024 NFL games averaged approximately 12 million viewers per game, with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys matchups consistently ranking among the top-rated broadcasts of the year. The 2025 Thanksgiving halftime window is expected to maintain similar audience levels, with ad rates for the 30-second spots ranging from $700,000 to $1.2 million depending on the network and game slot. The economic impact of Thanksgiving sports programming extends to local hospitality and retail sectors, with cities hosting games seeing measurable increases in tourism revenue during the holiday weekend. Industry viewership and advertising rate data are reported by Nielsen and published in trade outlets Nielsen Official Site.