The elimination of the NFL Pro Bowl could be on the horizon, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
Both Mark Maske of the Washington Post and Ian Rapoport from NFL Network reported that the league is looking to spice up the lackluster all-star game. It was one of the topics that has been discussed during the Spring League Meeting in Atlanta.
The NFL is exploring the elimination of the traditional Pro Bowl game, according to Maske, but keeping some sort of event during that week in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. One possibility could be a seven-on-seven game without tackling to showcase the league’s talent.
No decision was made after it was discussed with team owners in Atlanta.
The Pro Bowl has long suffered from a lack of interest from football fans and that has shown in TV ratings year after year. The 2022 NFL Pro Bowl averaged 6.69 million viewers, marking the event’s lowest viewership since 2006 and 17% dip from the 2019 ratings.
It also traditionally receives far less buzz than its counterparts in the NBA, MLB and NHL. And unlike the other four big sports, the Pro Bowl is played at the end of the season instead of the middle of the season.
Last year’s event was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
