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NFL Spotlights Legacy Networks As D.C. Streaming Criticism Mounts
TL;DR
Legacy networks are expanding their NFL broadcasts, with Fox, NBC, and CBS each securing additional games. This trend highlights the NFL's dominance in U.S. television and raises questions about the future of streaming rights.
Key points
- Legacy networks are gaining more NFL broadcast rights.
- Fox added two additional NFL games, including an international match.
- NBC secured a Week 17 game for its programming.
- CBS announced an exclusive national primetime window for December 19.
- These developments highlight the NFL's influence in U.S. television.
Mentioned in this story
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NFL
In the flurry of programming announcements on Monday to kick off upfront week in New York, there was an unavoidable trend: legacy networks getting additional NFL broadcasts.
Since the NFL is by far the most-watched programming in all of U.S. television, anything the league does is big newsâcertainly in advance of the highly anticipated schedule release on Thursday. What unfolded on Monday, however, carries particularly large implications, both for fans and for the league politically.
A breakdown of what occurred:
- Fox: The run of developments began Monday morning with company executive chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch announcing during an earnings call that the network picked up rights to two additional NFL games. One of those will be a Week 10 international game from Munich, forming an unprecedented NFL tripleheader that day on the network, and a Week 15 Saturday contest. The full reality is somewhat more nuanced than that, though. One of these Fox games was pulled from inventory that the league is reselling in the wake of its complex equity deal with ESPN, while the other was converted from a prior Fox regional broadcast slot on a Sunday afternoon to a national one.
- NBC: Hours after Murdochâs comments, the Comcast-owned network said it gained rights to a Week 17 game, helping form a powerful trio of games on its platforms during the next-to-last weekend of the regular season. This additional broadcast was also taken from the inventory that the NFL got back from ESPN.
- CBS: Late Monday, the Paramount-owned network said it also gained an additional exclusive national NFL primetime window, with that placement set for Sat., Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. ET. The teams involved have not yet been announced. Like part of the Fox situation, this new window represents a conversion of a prior regional Sunday afternoon broadcast slot.
Q&A
What new NFL broadcasting rights did Fox acquire?
Fox announced it picked up rights to two additional NFL games, including a Week 10 international game from Munich.
How did NBC expand its NFL coverage?
NBC gained rights to a Week 17 game, enhancing its lineup for the next-to-last weekend of the regular season.
What changes did CBS make to its NFL broadcasting schedule?
CBS secured an additional exclusive national NFL primetime window for Saturday, December 19, at 8 p.m. ET.
What implications do these new NFL broadcast deals have?
The expansion of NFL broadcasts by legacy networks signifies the league's continued dominance and raises concerns about the future of streaming services.
