The Cincinnati Bengals seem to be looking at being slotted into the maximum amount of prime-time games again this coming season, according to Geoff Hobson from the Bengals’ official website.
Hobson talked to Mike North, the NFL’s vice president for broadcasting, planning and scheduling who said that Cincinnati is a very compelling team, and Joe Burrow is a big reason why.
The league uses things like jersey sales, followers on Instagram and social media posts to determine the most popular teams according to the fans and Burrow is a big part of getting the Bengals high on those lists.
Here’s a quote from North on Burrow:
“Fans love him. Kids love him. We’re always trying to skew younger and he’s a popular guy,” North said. “We try to find out who our fans are most interested in and then reward them by putting those teams in the biggest television windows. That’s where the Bengals have been the last couple of years and that’s where we expect them to be the next couple.”
Burrow and Patrick Mahomes are currently probable favorites to win 2023 NFL MVP, matching which teams are likely to be playing the most prime-time games.
After the Bengals’ two straight trips to the AFC Championship to play the Chiefs, a matchup that has turned into somewhat of a heavyweight rivalry, they have earned the attention and the prime-time spots on the schedule.
