It probably shouldn't come as a surprise, but after they won 14 games in 2024, seven of the 17 matchups on the 2025 Minnesota Vikings schedule are going to be nationally televised. The NFL clearly noticed the tremendous progress the Vikings made last season, and it's obvious that the league expects them to be even better this year.
Minnesota's first appearance in the spotlight next season begins immediately, as they will head out on the road in Week 1 for a Monday night matchup against the Chicago Bears. This will be the fourth time in Vikings history that they have begun a season on the road in Chicago, and in the previous three matchups, Minnesota was, unfortunately, on the losing side of the scoreboard.
Then, over the course of the next 17 weeks, the Vikings are currently scheduled to take part in six more nationally televised contests. Below is the list of games from Minnesota's 2025 schedule that will be broadcast to the entire country.
OPPONENT | DATE | TV NETWORK | |
|---|---|---|---|
Week 1 | Chicago Bears (Away) | Monday, Sept. 8 | ESPN |
Week 2 | Atlanta Falcons (Home) | Sunday, Sept. 14 | NBC |
Week 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers (Away - Dublin, Ireland) | Sunday, Sept. 28 | NFL Network |
Week 5 | Cleveland Browns (Away - London, England) | Sunday, Oct. 5 | NFL Network |
Week 8 | Los Angeles Chargers (Away) | Thursday, Oct. 30 | Prime Video |
Week 15 | Dallas Cowboys (Away) | Sunday, Dec. 14 | NBC |
Week 17 | Detroit Lions (Home) | Thursday, Dec. 25 | Netflix |
2025 Minnesota Vikings schedule made for an NFC contender
Normally, the NFL wants to showcase the best teams from around the league on the national stage each season. So, by scheduling the Vikings to have seven nationally televised games for the 2025 campaign, it's safe to assume that the NFL thinks Minnesota is going to be competing for a top seed in the NFC next season.
How the Vikings handle the increased attention will be interesting to watch, especially with J.J. McCarthy taking over as the team's new starting quarterback.
McCarthy was used to the big stage during his college career at Michigan, so perhaps playing under bright lights with guys like Joe Buck and Troy Aikman calling the action from the TV booth won't be something that flusters the young quarterback next season.
However, if the bigger stage does end up altering McCarthy's performance, then the NFL is likely going to regret giving Minnesota so much national attention next season.