Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Good News For Football Fans

Good news football fans!

Today the NFL redid it's television deal through the 2022 season. What this means is games will continue to be broadcast on "free television" - network stations like CBS, Fox and NBC - for the next 11 years.

I don't know about you, but if I had to pay to watch Saturday (that's right, we're at that point of the season where some games are now on Saturdays) and Sunday NFL games a la NFL Network Thursday games, I think my viewership of NFL would definitely decline. NFL is truly "America's Game" pulling in the largest ratings in 23 of the 25 top programming in the fall. Pulling the games from "free" or network television would not only pull the rug out from its fans, but ruin the network ratings for fall and early winter.

Now, while the networks will continue to broadcast Saturdays and Sundays, ESPN will have Monday Night Football through at least 2021 and the NFL Network will be expanding its Thursday coverage starting next year. Currently the NFL Network only broadcasts eight games in the second half of the season.

For the full report on the television contracts, you can read a story on ESPN.com here.

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