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US commercial TV network ABC is targeting a return to the National Football League (NFL) broadcast picture, according to a report in the New York Post.
The Disney-owned network is apparently considering a bid for one of the main NFL Sunday packages currently held by CBS and Fox. The Post report cites a source familiar with the Disney discussions on the subject and with an eye on growing ABC’s male audience.
Fox, which currently has the National Football Conference-based (NFC) package and CBS, holder of the main American Football Conference (AFC) rights, have those Sunday TV contracts until 2022, so any talk of a new entrant is very premature. Fox’s Thursday Night Football (TNF) deal also runs through 2022, as does NBC’s contract for Sunday Night Football, whilst ESPN, another Disney asset, has the rights to Monday Night Football (MNF) through the 2021 season.
ABC last had NFL rights in 2005 but lost MNF as the league’s marquee game moved to Sunday nights and ESPN took on the repackaged Monday game exclusively. Intermittently ESPN has simulcast some NFL programming on ABC, including the NFL Draft, Pro Bowl and Wild Card play-off games.
There is widespread expectation that a Silicon Valley giant will enter the running for NFL rights when the packages come up for renewal – Amazon already holds the TNF digital rights – but they would need to prove to league executives that they are capable of delivering a viable product. The NFL could also choose to restructure its packages for the next round in order to attract a digital player.
Whoever comes in for NFL rights in a few years will not be able to get them for less than a premium rate. Fox apparently paid US$3.3 billion for five years of TNF rights last year and is currently paying US$1.1 billion a year for its Sunday NFL programming. CBS is on the hook for around US$1 billion a year for its Sunday package; NBC is paying US$950 million a year for Sunday night games; whilst ESPN is shelling out US$1.9 billion a year for its MNF-centred NFL rights.
ABC is targeting a return to the NFL broadcast picture
US commercial TV network ABC is targeting a return to the National Football League (NFL) broadcast picture, according to a report in the New York Post.
The Disney-owned network is apparently considering a bid for one of the main NFL Sunday packages currently held by CBS and Fox. The Post report cites a source familiar with the Disney discussions on the subject and with an eye on growing ABC’s male audience.
Fox, which currently has the National Football Conference-based (NFC) package and CBS, holder of the main American Football Conference (AFC) rights, have those Sunday TV contracts until 2022, so any talk of a new entrant is very premature. Fox’s Thursday Night Football (TNF) deal also runs through 2022, as does NBC’s contract for Sunday Night Football, whilst ESPN, another Disney asset, has the rights to Monday Night Football (MNF) through the 2021 season.
ABC last had NFL rights in 2005 but lost MNF as the league’s marquee game moved to Sunday nights and ESPN took on the repackaged Monday game exclusively. Intermittently ESPN has simulcast some NFL programming on ABC, including the NFL Draft, Pro Bowl and Wild Card play-off games.
There is widespread expectation that a Silicon Valley giant will enter the running for NFL rights when the packages come up for renewal – Amazon already holds the TNF digital rights – but they would need to prove to league executives that they are capable of delivering a viable product. The NFL could also choose to restructure its packages for the next round in order to attract a digital player.
Whoever comes in for NFL rights in a few years will not be able to get them for less than a premium rate. Fox apparently paid US$3.3 billion for five years of TNF rights last year and is currently paying US$1.1 billion a year for its Sunday NFL programming. CBS is on the hook for around US$1 billion a year for its Sunday package; NBC is paying US$950 million a year for Sunday night games; whilst ESPN is shelling out US$1.9 billion a year for its MNF-centred NFL rights.
