Home and away opponents have been set for the 2025-26 NFL season since the conclusion of last season, but the timing of each of those matchups (as well as bye weeks) was revealed in full on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the NFL and its broadcast partners announced several different primetime and holiday games.

On Monday morning, it was revealed that the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will open their 2025 season against the Dallas Cowboys in prime time. On Wednesday, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce appeared to spoil his team’s appearance in Brazil ahead of the official announcement.

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Check out the full international, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day games below, and the top 10 grudge matches of the season here.

Date: Wednesday, May 14

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV channel: NFL Network | ESPN

Follow along with the latest NFL schedule rumors, leaks and announcements below.

Megan Julian, Chargers senior director of digital and social media, has played an integral part in helping the team become the undisputed champions of NFL schedule release day. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Reposts flood in. Likes climb faster than administrators can count.

Each spring, the Chargers know how to run up this score.

When it comes to what senior director of production Tyler Pino calls the “content Super Bowl,” the Chargers are multi-time season NFL schedule release champions. They broke the internet with popular anime videos in 2022 and 2023. A “Sims 2” theme in 2024 kept online sleuths laughing for weeks at inside jokes.

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The schedule reveal video posted Wednesday in the pixelated style of “Minecraft” surpassed 1 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 45 minutes, and 4 million in three hours, confirming the Chargers’ social media dynasty. The next closest NFL team schedule video was viewed roughly 1.5 million times during that same span.

The Chargers set the bar among a throwback action figure commercial , a “Mario Kart” parody and an ad for a prescription drug . They had some brief competition when the Indianapolis Colts also dropped a Minecraft-themed video, only to delete it roughly an hour later for “exceeding” its rights with Microsoft, which owns the game. The Jets even poked fun at the unexpected twin videos.

Each year’s creative videos have suddenly become more notable than the schedules they promote. But the Chargers’ content team tries to stay focused on the process of winning fans over one like, lower-case letter and laugh at a time.

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“I don’t think our goal is to be the best on the internet,” said Megan Julian, Chargers senior director of digital and social media, “but our goal is to build generational fandom on the internet.”

Read more: Chargers will travel more miles than any other team in the NFL this season

Known for their creativity and casual humor, the Chargers were named the NFL’s best Twitter account by Complex in 2019, 2022 and 2023. The social media attention can translate to ticket sales: Traffic to the Chargers’ website spiked 1,476% following the schedule release, the highest jump from any team in the NFL, according to Vivid Seats marketplace data.

When Julian joined the Chargers in 2018, she was the only person behind the social media accounts. The franchise had just returned to L.A., where a whole generation had grown up without the NFL. Fans were already invested in different teams. Instead of trying to change an established fan’s mind, the content team aimed to cultivate new ones by reaching different, younger audiences that will fill SoFi Stadium for generations.

Allie Raymond, left, and Megan Julian of the Chargers’ social media team walk on the practice field during rookie minicamp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Julian made the Chargers’ social media accounts feel like entering a group chat. The team, which includes director of organic social media Allie Raymond; Jaemin Cho, the senior vertical video coordinator; Lorren Walker, programming manager for organic social media; and coordinator Hannah Johnson, post in lower-case text in short, sharp bursts. They never overexplain the joke.

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Here, among friends, it’s already known.

“You’re talking with the fans,” Julian said. “Not at them.”

Occasionally commenters complain about the lower-case letters or can’t keep up with the newest slang. The schedule release videos often include pointed jokes toward opposing players or teams. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who controversially sat out for one play last year because he was tired, ran out of gas in a go-kart race in this year’s video.

But the unique tone has built a distinct brand for an organization that is fighting for any way to stand out in a crowded L.A. market.

“We’re creative, and we think a little bit off kilter,” said David Bretto, the director of creative video. “But we do that because we’re allowed to do that, and the organization sees the success.”

A member of the Chargers’ content team films players taking part in rookie minicamp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo on May 9. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The content team’s reputation precedes them. When videographers checked bags at the NFL combine, security guards asked what they were cooking for the schedule release. Incoming rookies asked who is behind the keys of the social media accounts that go viral with the latest TikTok trends.

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Inspired by the energy of young, charismatic stars on the 2018 team including Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Derwin James Jr., Julian started to craft a social media persona that matched the on-field personnel. For the franchise’s current era, showing the players’ personalities remains at the forefront.

Some players welcome the sight of the social media team holding a tiny microphone tethered to their phones. Linebacker Daiyan Henley is as ubiquitous on the Chargers’ TikTok account as the team’s logo. A more reserved personality such as Justin Herbert still shines through in videos that showcase the star quarterback’s humble charm.

Highlight videos of Herbert avoiding their cameras still turn into internet gold because while this is a football team, football is only a fraction of the franchise’s digital brand.

“There are only 20 days a year that we actually play the sport,” said Jason Lavine, Chargers senior vice president of brand, creative and content. “Then the other 345, we’re just entertaining people.”

Allie Raymond records players and coaches taking part in Chargers rookie minicamp on May 9. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The biggest internet stage is the schedule release. The Seattle Seahawks sparked a revolution in 2016 with a cupcake-themed video in which special ingredients representing each city of their opponents were stirred into a batter. Some teams hire production companies and outside contractors to prepare for the big reveal. This season, NBA legend Allen Iverson and actor Brenda Song made cameos for the Buffalo Bills and the Rams, respectively.

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But Julian proudly notes that all of the Chargers’ videos have been produced in-house.

The Chargers’ first major schedule release video came in 2019 when they represented each opponent with stock footage. A dog dressed in a lion’s mane. A person in a bear suit on a picnic. Both games against the AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs were represented by awkward chefs. The 73-second collection of clips was so weird it somehow worked.

Read more: Inside the 2025 NFL schedule: 13 things to know about this season’s games

The day before it dropped, Julian and Bretto nearly scrapped the project altogether.

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“To me, schedule release kind of feels like you’re on a cliff,” Bretto said. “You put all this work to get to the top of this mountain, and at the very end, there’s nothing to do but just jump. You don’t know how the audience is going to react.”

Just count the tens of thousands of likes. The reception is clear.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It was a win for Sovereignty over Journalism at the 151st Kentucky Derby.

The Bill Mott-trained horse won a rainy first leg of the Triple Crown with a time of 2:02.31 after closing at 7-1 odds, with race favorite Journalism placing and late entry Baeza showing.

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Both Sovereignty and Journalism opened a fast-paced race deep in the pack, with the Bob Baffert-trained Citizen Bull leading for the first half of the race alongside long shots Neoequos and Owen Almighty. They came up big in the second half of the race, though, surging from the outside and making it a two-horse thriller for the final stretch.

The 2025 Kentucky Derby featured a purse of $5 million, same as last year, and will be split among the race’s top-five finishers, with $3.1 million going to Sovereignty.

As for the public’s winnings, a $2 bet on Sovereignty to win would have paid out $17.96, with payouts of $48.32 for an exacta, $231.12 for a trifecta and $1,682.27 for a superfecta on a $1 bet.

The win is the first at the Kentucky Derby for both owner Godolphin, the organization owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and jockey Junior Alvarado. It is the second for Mott, and the first in which his horse actually crossed the finish line before the other horses.

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Mott’s Country House was named the winner of the controversial 2019 Derby after race favorite Maximum Security was disqualified after the race stewards ruled it unfairly impeded at least three other horses. This win probably felt a bit sweeter.

“He made up a lot of ground in a hurry,” Mott said afterward, according to the Los Angeles Times. “This one got here the right way. I mean, he’s done well, he’s a great horse. He comes to us from a great organization. [Godolphin] and I can’t say enough about the horse and the organization that started him out and did everything to make this happen.”

All 19 horses were running through muddy conditions after a full day of rain at Churchill Downs. Two horses were also scratched in the days leading up to the race, with the Baffert-trained Rodriguez and long shot Grande both out due to foot bruises. Baeza was inserted into the field as the replacement for Rodriguez and quickly rose up to 14-1 odds.

Journalism entered Saturday as the 3-1 favorite and went off at 7-2.

The race also saw the return of Baffert, the legendary trainer who served a three-year suspension from Churchill Downs after his horse Medina Spirit tested positive for banned substance betamethasone and was stripped of its win at the 2021 Kentucky Derby. While Rodriguez was scratched, Citizen Bull entered the race at 13-1.

2025 Kentucky Derby full results

1. Sovereignty

2. Journalism

3. Baeza

4. Final Gambit

5. Owen Almighty

6. Burnham Square

7. Sandman

8. East Avenue

9. Chunk of Gold

10. Tiztastic

11. Coal Battle

12. Luxor Cafe

13. Neoequos

14. Publisher

15. Citizen Bull

16. American Promise

17. Render Judgement

18. Flying Mohawk

19. Admire Daytona

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Fun fact: All 19 of those horses are descended from Secretariat.

Here’s how the entire Kentucky Derby festivities went down at Churchill Downs, via Yahoo Sports:

The 2025 WNBA season tipped off Friday evening with an exciting three-game slate, and that momentum carried over into Saturday.

WNBA fans didn’t have to wait long for one of the most-anticipated rivalries in the league. As the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky kicked off their 2025 regular season with their first meeting of the year, the Fever dominated with a 93-58 win behind a 20-point triple-double from Caitlin Clark.

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The 2025 Fever are starting to take shape: Offseason acquisition Natasha Howard put up 15 points. The Clark-Aliyah Boston connection remained strong, with Boston pitching in 19 points and 12 rebounds. DeWanna Bonner, a veteran acquisition for the Fever in the offseason, made history by passing Tina Thompson on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.

Meanwhile, Sky forward Angel Reese put up a double-double of her own with 12 points and 17 rebounds, showing no rust in her first game since a wrist injury ended her rookie season a few weeks early. But Reese couldn’t do it alone. Despite trying to control the pace, the Sky struggled on offense, shooting 29.1% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc.

Things came to a head in the third quarter, with temperatures running high after Clark fouled Reese. After review, the officials upgraded Clark’s foul to a flagrant, while Reese and Boston were given offsetting technical fouls for their involvement in the scrape.

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In the end, though, it came down to a dominant-looking Fever team showing everyone why they are one of the league favorites this season. Indiana picked up the 35-point win, starting the season off on a good note.

With the 20-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist stat line, Clark recorded her third triple-double, tying with Candace Parker for third all-time in the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu sits in second place with four, while Alyssa Thomas holds by far the most career triple-doubles with 10.

The Golden State Valkyries have officially arrived.

Their season opener, however, didn’t quite go as planned.

The Los Angeles Sparks stunned a sold-out crowd at the Chase Center and beat the Valkyries 84-67 in the club’s first game as a WNBA franchise. The Valkyries set a record with 18,064 fans in attendance for their opening game as the 13th franchise in the league — which marked the highest attendance for any team in its debut game.

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The score was close throughout the first two quarters, as the Sparks took a three-point lead into the locker room. Temi Fagbenle led the Valkyries with 13 points in the first half, and she accounted for half of their four made 3-pointers. The Sparks lost Rae Burrell in the first half, too. She had to be carried off the court with an apparent knee injury, though further specifics are not yet known.

The Sparks looked like they were going to run away with the game in the third quarter, thanks to a huge 20-8 run powered almost exclusively by Kelsey Plum, who was dealt to the Sparks this past offseason. Plum dropped 15 of those 20 points and was up to 28 points by the end of the third. But the Valkyries rallied right back to make it a six-point game by the end of the period.

While the fourth quarter slowed way down, the Sparks powered ahead to grab the 17-point win without much issue. Plum finished with 37 points to lead the Sparks, and Tiffany Hayes led the Valkyries with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Despite the loss, it was still a historic night for the franchise. Both Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers were sitting courtside for the game. Kerr and the Warriors share an arena with the Valkyries, and Rivers was there watching his former assistant coach and new Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was there, too.

Kayla Thornton had the honor of scoring the first points in team history. She drained a 17-footer on the Valkyries’ first possession of the game to put them up 2-0.

The Valkyries are the first in what will be several new expansion teams in the WNBA in the coming years. They are the first new team in the league since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008. The Toronto Tempo will join the league next season, and a new team in Portland will join in 2026. The WNBA has said that it wants to add a 16th team by the 2028 campaign. While several cities have expressed interest, it’s unclear where it will be.

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The expansion push has come amid a massive rise in popularity both in the WNBA and women’s basketball as a whole. Viewership numbers have been up across the board — due in part to Caitlin Clark’s success both at Iowa and in her inaugural season with the Indiana Fever. The league secured a $2.2 billion TV deal last summer, too, which will kick in in 2026. There may be a lockout before that happens, though, as the WNBPA already opted out of its current CBA with the league amid a fight for better pay and working conditions, among other things.

The Valkyries, though, don’t have to worry about any of that just yet. With Friday night’s game behind them, their franchise is finally off and running.