<P> The 2016 edition, which was scheduled to be played between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, was canceled due to unsafe playing conditions . Mike Silver of NFL.com reported that on the morning of game day, the logos at midfield and the end zones had been painted using paint which was not intended for use on artificial turf . When it was apparent the paint wasn't drying fast enough, the field was heated to speed up the drying process, but this caused the turf's rubber to melt . These issues led to unfavorable play conditions . The affected areas were described as being slick and "like cement," making it impossible to get decent footing . Stadium officials attempted to address this by applying a solvent, reportedly paint thinner, to the turf . A Packers employee noticed a label warning that this substance could result in burns when exposed to skin, and alerted others to the discovery . When officially cancelling the game, both the league and the Players Association cited safety concerns . </P> <P> Both teams were told at 6: 40 p.m.--an hour and 20 minutes before kickoff--that the game was going to be canceled . However, fans in the stadium only learned of the pending cancellation via social media . No official announcement was made until just before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff . </P> <P> On December 28, 2016, the NFL announced that the 2017 edition of the game would be played on Thursday, August 3, 2017 . The scheduling change makes the Hall of Fame Game the first event of the Hall of Fame Weekend . On February 23, 2017, it was announced the 2017 edition will be played between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals . </P> <P> Unlike the majority of NFL preseason games, which air on local networks, the Hall of Fame Game airs nationwide . From 1999 to 2005, the game was held on Monday night, televised as part of ABC's Monday Night Football package . It had previously been held typically on Saturday afternoons, except from 1963 to 1965 on Sunday afternoons, televised as part of ABC's Wide World of Sports package (still using the MNF crew). In 1998, the game was put in the MNF package, and played on a Saturday night, which served as a test run for the move to Monday night . Starting in 2006, it was moved to Sunday night, coinciding with the new NBC Sunday Night Football television package . The 2007 game was telecast on NFL Network as NBC was intending to televise the China Bowl game in Beijing, China (a game which was postponed to 2009 and later canceled). The Hall of Fame Game has since bounced between both networks . The 2012 game aired on NFL Network due to NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics . After a two - year absence, the game returned to NBC in 2013 and remained on the network until 2015 . The 2016 game was scheduled to air on ESPN as it was to be played two days into the 2016 Summer Olympics but the game was canceled due to field conditions, it returned to NBC in 2017 and will remain on the network until 2019 . </P>

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