Momentum seems to be building for a new wave of NFL TV deals, sooner than later.
With the league holding the ability to dump the last four years of current broadcast arrangements that run through 2033, new contracts could be in place well before 2029.
John Ourand of Puck writes in his latest Varsity newsletter that network executives “increasingly believe that the NFL wants to have new deals in place before the new season starts in September.”
Ourand’s reading of the tea leaves points to Paramount-Skydance going first with a renewal of the CBS Sunday afternoon package, before possibly moving on to Fox. The NFL has an existing equity stake in Skydance, which makes it hard to envision CBS being frozen out.
The strategy possibly goes like this: Re-do the deals for the networks that deliver free, over-the-air broadcasts every Sunday to blunt the inevitable criticism that will come before seeking a bigger bag from streamers that will potentially increase the costs paid by consumers.
As Ourand has recently suggested, Amazon could be eyeing the Sunday night package currently held by NBC. That could, in theory, nudge NBC to Thursday night, with a higher bar that Prime Video would set for prime-time packages.
At some point, the NFL will negotiate indirectly with itself as to the ESPN Monday night deal, which if/when shortened would run through 2030. The league now owns 10 percent of ESPN, which means that (in theory) the league will be paying itself 10 cents on every dollar shelled out by Bristol.
However it goes, the league surely has a careful and detailed plan aimed at significantly boosting the $10 billion per year it currently gets for NFL games. Especially if the NFL is able to quickly and decisively persuade the next NFL Players Association executive director to recommend to the rank and file a new CBA that expands the regular season to 18 games as soon as 2027 and that permits up to 16 annual international games.
Implicit in all of this is the likelihood that the new deals would take effect immediately, with the current contracts torn up and replaced by something that increases the revenue by 2027 (when, in theory, 18 games could be in place) and that rectifies the discrepancy between NBA and NFL contracts that has reportedly left the NFL “irritated” with NBC.
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