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The LA Rams will play their first preseason game of 2021 against the LA Chargers at 7 PM PT on August 14th at SoFi Stadium. They will play their second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 21st, also at SoFi Stadium. We now know that both of those games will be broadcast on the NFL Network, though that is not surprising.
The @RamsNFL first two preseason games @SoFiStadium (August 14 + 21) will be broadcast live @nflnetwork.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) July 19, 2021
The NFL wants to get as many eyes as possible on SoFi Stadium this year and this is the first of many steps towards doing that. By playing against the other Los Angeles team in preseason Week 1, the NFL will be able to highlight both “home teams” when they kickoff in less than a month. There has been more than $5 billion spent on SoFi Stadium and the surrounding Hollywood Park, so it behooves the teams and the league to showcase it to the world, especially after a season in which no fans were allowed to attend.
The Rams and Chargers expect a full crowd on August 14th and the NFL Network is hoping for a full audience on television as well.