Once a year, German NFL fans can look forward to earlier broadcast times. There are various theories surrounding the later time change in the USA. Halloween plays an important role in this.
In Week 8 it’s that time again. Be careful when planning TV/streaming around the NFL! Thanks to the time change in the USA, which is a week later than in Germany, the football league games in this country start an hour earlier. We show here which games can be seen live on RTL and RTL+ on Sunday. For many NFL fans, that probably means an hour more sleep (in theory).
Because while in Germany and Europe the clock will be turned back (backwards!) next Sunday, in the USA this will happen as usual a week later. Always on the first Sunday in November. So far, so clear.
Touchdown candy industry?!
Now the USA is a capitalist country. Many people suspect that the time change postponed until November could have something to do with the interest of certain industry associations. The story persists that the candy industry had something to do with the changed date of the time change in order to sell and earn more candy on Halloween (October 31st).
Because: The changeover date at the beginning of November is still relatively new. In 2005, the Energy Policy Act was passed under the then George Bush administration, which established the new policy. Since 2007, the time change to winter time has only taken place at the beginning of November. Previously, as in Europe, it was changed on the last Sunday in October.
A rogue who thinks that the strong sugar industry had a hand in this.
But is this Halloween/candy deal story more than an urban legend? Touchdown candy industry?!
Well, author Michael Downing claims in his book “Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time” that candy makers were pushing hard for it back in the 1980s. The logic behind it: Due to the change, there is an hour longer of light on Halloween and the children can trick-or-treat longer in the light.
In an “NPR” interview, the best-selling author explained: “That’s not a legend. That’s the truth. For 25 years, candy makers have been trying to use daylight saving time for trick-or-treating because they think kids are more Collect candy when you have an extra hour of daylight.”
He then goes on to offer this anecdote: In fact, lobbyists went so far “as to place candy pumpkins on every senator’s seat during the 1985 daylight saving time congressional hearings, hoping to gain an advantage.”
The post-Halloween change was not enforced at the time and was only implemented in the new law in 2005.
Candy makers disagree
The thing is: the industry associations vehemently deny this. Downing couldn’t really provide any real evidence for his theory.
Daylight saving time was introduced during the First World War in the USA in 1918, but was not implemented until 1966 with a uniform regulation under President Lydon B. Johnson. However, the meaning of it all is controversial. However, according to expert opinions, the original purpose, namely to save energy through less power consumption due to longer daylight, has been lost. In addition, the negative health consequences are definitely noticeable for many people.
Officially, the law from 2005 also had to do with the fact that children should be better protected. Studies have shown that a particularly large number of children are injured in traffic on Halloween. This should be curbed by the extra hour of brightness during trick-or-treating.
However, it is also obvious that people are more likely to go shopping on lighter evening hours, whether for sweets or not.
Downing emphasizes: The most persistent lobby for daylight saving time in this country was the Chamber of Commerce. They knew that people would then increasingly flock to department stores in the evenings.
The golfers are also happy
However, according to the author, another surprising lobby is said to have supported this.
“In 1986, Congress gave us an additional month of daylight saving time. That’s when we went from six to seven months, and that’s the period we’ve lived with since 2007.
At the congressional hearings, the golf industry alone – these are the industry’s estimates – told Congress that an additional month of daylight saving time would be worth $200 million in additional golf club sales and golf fees. The barbecue industry estimated additional sales of grills and charcoal briquettes at $100 million,” he said.
We will probably never know the exact background. But the fact is: The change has been taking place since 2007 and will always take place after Halloween until further notice.
And: The USA actually wants to make summer time permanent anyway. In 2022, the US Senate voted unanimously in favor. But as is often the case in the United States at the moment. There is disagreement, there is still no majority or time for it in the House of Representatives. The president would also have to approve the law first.
For the time being, the time change continues in the USA – always after Halloween. With consequences for German NFL viewers.