Despite the Ivy League opting against having a football season this fall. It’s unlikely that college football and NFL games won’t happen this fall. A season of some sort will happen for one primary reason.

There are a few financial factors that could force a fall football season. Even if it has to be shortened and held without spectators due to COVID-19. Those factors all connect in a significant way to television. Frankly, television needs football and football needs television. It’s a passionate romance and a hostage crisis rolled into one.

The NFL typically generates bigger ratings than anything else on American TV. In turn, the NFL has one of the most lucrative broadcasting contracts in the world. According to Statista, the league’s current broadcasting rights are worth $4.52 billion. Out of all the major leagues, the NFL can most afford having games with no spectators in the stands. They managed well with half empty Cincinnati Bengals games last year. The league will still take a financial hit without live spectators. That financial hit would be far more massive with no games to air.

Various TV networks were forced to scramble when the pandemic hit. With the production of many shows abruptly grinding to a halt. Forcing some prime time programs to wrap up their seasons earlier than planned. Networks are scrambling to put a fall schedule together. Some are adjusting by pushing shows meant to air months earlier off into the future.

Network schedules will need to adjust again if productions can’t resume before September. Those schedules will be thrown into further disarray without football in the fall. ESPN, FOX and NBC air prime time NFL regular season games. CBS is set to air next year’s Super Bowl. With no season, those networks would have to replace weeks of their most lucrative programming hours.

Politics adds to the pressure for the NFL and TV networks. Specifically, campaign advertising revenue adds to the pressure. The first half of this NFL season will cross with the closing weeks of the election campaign. Monday Night Football’s Week 8 game will be the night before Election Day. Campaigns will be looking to buy as much ad time as they feasibly can during games. Given the large audiences that the NFL can attract. This presents TV stations with a cash cow they will be desperate to preserve.

Then there’s the pressure from politicians to consider. It’s not inconceivable to imagine President Trump pressuring the league to play this season. In an effort to give Americans a distraction from a dismal 2020 nationally. Along with the social and economic despair already caused by the pandemic. Not having an NFL season would be another blow to America’s collective spirit. That’s something Trump and other incumbents will be desperate to avoid. Over fears of an electoral backlash against them in November.

Turning back to TV, the intrigue factor adds more pressure on the NFL and TV networks. Intrigue will help generate a different level of interest in the NFL this fall. That level of intrigue that has the potential to boost ratings. Due to curiosity about how football functions in the age of COVID-19. Given the national reckoning over racial injustice playing out this summer. The national anthem protests adds to the intrigue. Overall, these factors could push the league to play out of financial desperation.

While it would be safer to have a scaled down season or even no season. The windfall that TV revenue promises is too much for the NFL to pass up. Especially in the midst of the pandemic-related financial crisis.