The 2017 Pro Bowl was held in Orlando instead of Hawaii, and it was a big success. As part of a multi-year deal signed in 2016, the NFL will hold its annual celebratory game at the Camping World Stadium for the second straight year.
Pro Bowl 2018: Why is the game in Orlando and being played in the middle of the day?
The 2018 Pro Bowl will start at 3 p.m. ET to avoid interfering with ABC’s primetime lineup.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time ever, ESPN and ABC will simulcast the event. ESPN Deportes will also televise the 2018 Pro Bowl, and a live stream will be available on WatchESPN.
But unlike the Pro Bowls of the past, this game will air at 3 p.m. ET to avoid interfering with ABC’s primetime lineup. It will also give the Pro Bowl a chance to air without competing against the Grammys, which will broadcast live on CBS at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The last time this game appeared on network television was in 2013.
Peter O’Reilly, the league’s senior vice president of events, said the NFL received “tremendous feedback from players, coaches, and fans” about last year’s Pro Bowl. But the game, which aired on ESPN, generated 7.4 million viewers, the least-viewed Pro Bowl since 2007. However, it still outperformed other cable shows in the same time slot, and viewers who tuned in to the live stream were not counted in the ratings.
TV ratings are down across the board, so it’s a gamble to move the Pro Bowl out of primetime. The ABC/ESPN simulcast could help get more eyeballs, though.
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