Under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, the NFL is legally prohibited from broadcasting games on Fridays or Saturdays between the second Friday of September and the second Saturday of December. In previous years, the Friday following the season opener happened to fall in early September — just before that blackout window kicks in. This year, that date lands too late on the calendar, making a Friday game legally off-limits. Australia’s time zone difference, however, means the Melbourne game airs on Thursday night in the U.S., neatly sidestepping the restriction entirely.