12/21/24
November 08, 2004
It cost Fox and CBS a combined $8 billion,: but the networks are retaining their broadcast rights to Sunday-afternoon NFC and AFC games, respectively, through 2011. DirecTV has also renewed its contract, and retains exclusive rights to the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package. And the rich keep getting richer...
posted by Motown Mike to football at 10:50 PM - 7 comments
Gah. I had just crawled out of my post-election depression, and now this. . .
posted by rainbaby at 07:39 AM on November 09, 2004
DON'T be surprised usf- DirecTV is now owned by Murdoch/Fox,so it makes sense.....
posted by NYSSoftballBlue at 08:23 AM on November 09, 2004
Although the new deals include no changes in the current kickoff times, the NFL has the option to move seven late-season games from Sunday afternoon to Monday night to feature more attractive match-ups in prime time in a concept league officials called "flexible scheduling." Interesting...i've always thought something like this should be incorporated into all of sports -- especially football -- honestly, who cares to watch a MNF game of two non-playoff teams late in the season?? Interested to see how this plays out...
posted by sigity at 11:52 AM on November 09, 2004
Ridiculous sums, especially as the TV networks lose money. NBC made the right decision in walking away some years ago.
posted by salmacis at 12:28 PM on November 09, 2004
Its a lot of money, but it allows the League to have a Hard Salary Cap!
posted by daddisamm at 02:36 PM on November 09, 2004
The Fox people (not, I think, including the sibling DirecTV) claim that they now make a profit on their broadcasts and expect to continue doing so with the new contract. The only piece left up in the air, though with 12 months of exclusive negotiating remaining to Disney, is the SNF/MNF package--do any of you think ABC will fail to keep it?
posted by billsaysthis at 02:51 PM on November 09, 2004
The DirecTV deal surprises me. I remember reading the NFL was unhappy since they don't reach as many homes as cable. I figured the NFL Network was the first step in getting the NFL off of satellite tv. I guess I already know what I'm doing next year then. I'll watch entirely too many baseball games on the MLB Extra Innings package, and then spend my Sunday's inside a bar.