This should come as a surprise to no one.
The Vikings' game against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 1 at Lambeau Field will be moved to a 3:15 p.m. start, according to sources. The announcement from the NFL is expected later this morning. That means Brett Favre's first game at Lambeau Field as an opposing player will be seen by much of the country on Fox.
The game was originally set for a noon kickoff but talks about moving the start time had been ongoing for several weeks. The fact ESPN drew the largest cable audience ever for its coverage of the Monday night game this month when Favre threw three touchdowns in a 30-23 victory over his longtime team certainly made the decision to move the kickoff easier. More than 21.8 million people watched that telecast.
Fox has the NFL doubleheader on Nov. 1 and the later start in such cases is usually reserved for a marquee game. Most of the country would have seen the Giants game at Philadelphia in the 3:15 window that day but now will get the Packers and Vikings.
Later games usually draw higher ratings in part because more households are watching television later in the day.
