Super Bowl Sunday is the most-watched football game of the year and one of the most-watched television events in the United States. The game follows a bye week for the two participating teams, during which fans and the rest of the league engage in the Pro Bowl — or, as it is now called, the Pro Bowl Games. However, like other all-star games in major American sports (except perhaps Major League Baseball), the Pro Bowl has been in decline, losing fan interest over the years.
The concept of the Pro Bowl has long been confusing to many football fans. Examining the history of the game provides insight into how it evolved into its current form.
The first NFL all-star game took place in 1939. It featured the 1938 NFL champions, the New York Giants, playing against a team of professional football all-stars, including players from local independent teams like the Los Angeles Bulldogs and Hollywood Stars. The Giants won 13-10 after a fumble recovery led to a game-winning field goal. This arrangement of play lasted until 1942.
In 1950, the modern Pro Bowl began under commissioner Bert Bell, who saw it as a way to add to the growing popularity of NFL and professional football. From 1951 to 1972, the game was held in Los Angeles before rotating among different cities until 1980. In 1981, the Pro Bowl found a long-term home in Hawaii, where it remained for 29 seasons. The game originally featured Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference matchups until the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, when it became the American Football Conference vs. National Football Conference format known today.
Originally played the week after the Super Bowl, in 2010, the Pro Bowl moved to the week before the game to increase its relevance. This change, however, meant players from the two Super Bowl teams could not participate, further diminishing the game’s appeal.
Since 2010, the NFL has made several changes to the Pro Bowl. The Hawaii venue was dropped in favor of rotating NFL stadiums, and from 2014 to 2016, the league experimented with a draft-style team selection — similar to the NHL’s All-Star Game format from 2011, 2012 and 2015 — before reverting to the traditional AFC vs. NFC matchup in 2017.
The most significant change came in 2023 when the NFL replaced the Pro Bowl with the Pro Bowl Games, featuring skill-based challenges, team events and a non-contact flag football game. The goal was to remove the lackluster tackling from previous years and replace it with a more engaging, competitive event. While the new format seemed fun on paper, the execution has yet to win over fans.
Despite the changes, TV ratings for the Pro Bowl have continued to plummet. This year’s event averaged 4.7 million viewers, compared to 6.7 million for the last tackle football Pro Bowl in 2022. The 2024 Pro Bowl Games drew 5.57 million viewers, marking an 18% year-over-year decline.
These numbers suggest a fundamental issue: People simply do not want to watch exhibition football, regardless of the format. The same trend is evident in other sports. The NBA All-Star Game has been widely criticized for its lack of competitiveness, and the league has struggled to find a format that players take seriously. The NHL’s All-Star Game, though still somewhat popular, has faced backlash over team selection, jersey designs and game format. In fact, the NHL is not even holding an All-Star Game in 2025, opting instead for the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament.
For the NFL, the Pro Bowl Games exist mainly to fill the empty week before the Super Bowl. While the event still holds some entertainment value, its dwindling viewership raises the question: Should the league continue with this format, or should it explore alternatives?
Potential alternatives could include a return to the traditional Pro Bowl game, a new skill-based competition that more closely resembles NBA All-Star Saturday Night, or even a celebrity-NFL player hybrid event to generate more buzz. Another option could be an entirely different programming approach, such as a Super Bowl preview show with in-depth team analyses and exclusive interviews.
Regardless of the Pro Bowl’s future, one thing is clear: The current Pro Bowl Games format is not the solution to the event’s declining relevance. The NFL must decide whether to keep tweaking the concept or move on from the Pro Bowl altogether.
