Why does MNF football start so late?

[MSUDawg25]

It's 7:40ish kickoff here and an hour later on the east coast where most of the US audience is. They know pretty much everyone will at least start watching it at this time, but how many stay up to watch the whole game? You gotta figure they last 3.5 hours. Am I just old? 6:30 seems so much more reasonable to me, but I've been at work at 7am for 10+ years.

 

[treeddeep]

So our friends on the west coast can settle down with a glass of wine and watch

 

[Treemydawg]

Just get you a coon dog, and you won't have to worry about time at night anymore.

 

[treeddeep]

Just get you a coon dog, and you won't have to worry about time at night anymore.

Truer words have never been spoken

 

[patdog]

I'm sure that's the reason why, but it makes no sense to me. What's better, to have 14% of the population watch the first hour of the game or 47% to watch the last hour?

 

[Dawgbite]

To get as much of the game in prime time in each time zone so they can charge as much as possible for advertising.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

So our friends on the west coast can settle down with a glass of wine and watch

That is exactly why. ABC gave that reason. Remember when it started at 8?