The Steelers game is “so early” most likely because of TV scheduling and where it’s being played, not because the NFL is randomly trying to punish fans.

Quick Scoop

For recent and upcoming Steelers games, there are two big reasons you’ll see an unusually early kickoff:

  • International Series games
    When the Steelers are part of the NFL’s International Series (like the 2025 Week 4 matchup vs. the Vikings in Ireland), the game is scheduled around the local time in the host country.
* In that Ireland game, kickoff is in the afternoon locally, but that translates to around 8:30 AM Central / 6:30 AM Pacific in the U.S., which feels “way too early” for American fans.
  • TV network priorities and conflicts
    Sometimes a Steelers game has a weird early weekday time (like 3:40 PM on a Wednesday) because the broadcast network has a major primetime event it won’t move.
* A well-known example: a Ravens–Steelers game was pushed to 3:40 PM ET so NBC could still air the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in prime time.

Why is your Steelers game early?

If you’re asking about today’s or this week’s Steelers game, it is almost certainly one of these:

  • An international game (London, Dublin, etc.), which pulls the U.S. kickoff into the early morning.
  • A special scheduling situation where the network is making room for another big event, so they slide the NFL game into an off-hour slot.

How this fits the “trending topic” angle

  • Fans on forums and social platforms often complain about having to set alarms , tailgate at sunrise , or watch the Steelers “before coffee has kicked in” when these early kicks happen.
  • At the same time, some fans love the early start because they can watch the Steelers, then still have the rest of Sunday free.

Mini takeaway

  • If the Steelers game is early, think:
    • Is it being played overseas? If yes, that’s the reason.
* Is it on a weird weekday or odd time with a big TV event that night? Then the network schedule is calling the shots.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.