NFL: Thursday Night Football moving to Fox

[Mr Janny]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/01/31/report-fox-paying-550-million-a-year-for-thursdays/

In spite of all of the negative press and lower viewing numbers, the NFL goes out and gets a deal worth $100 million more per year than the one they signed 2 years ago.

 

[3TrueFans]

I don't watch Thursday football but Fox's NFL coverage sucks, so I'll give this a solid "neato".

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

The teams and players HATE the Thursday night game so I guess it makes perfect sense that the NFL would push their chips all in...

 

[Mr Janny]

I don't watch Thursday football but Fox's NFL coverage sucks, so I'll give this a solid "neato".

I guess that's sort of my point. Based on tv ratings for TNF, and the league in general the last two years, a lot of folks echo your "neato" and yet, so much so, that there have been countless stories about how bad ratings will lead to smaller paydays, and eventually the decline of the league. And in spite of that, the league went out and got a richer deal than they did two years ago, before some of these issues were present.

 

[3TrueFans]

I guess that's sort of my point. Based on tv ratings for TNF, and the league in general the last two years, a lot of folks echo your "neato" and yet, so much so, that there have been countless stories about how bad ratings will lead to smaller paydays, and eventually the decline of the league. And in spite of that, the league went out and got a richer deal than they did two years ago, before some of these issues were present.

It won't last forever.

 

[Cyclone.TV]

I guess that's sort of my point. Based on tv ratings for TNF, and the league in general the last two years, a lot of folks echo your "neato" and yet, so much so, that there have been countless stories about how bad ratings will lead to smaller paydays, and eventually the decline of the league. And in spite of that, the league went out and got a richer deal than they did two years ago, before some of these issues were present.

Fox loves low ratings.

 

[cycloner29]

Please move Joe Buck to this game slot. Since I don't watch Thursday night games, I wouldn't have to listen to him on Sunday games!!

 

[BigJCy]

@AdamSchefter: NFL reached an agreement with FOX Sports to broadcast the next five seasons of Thursday Night Football beginning with the 2018 season - at $660 million per year.

 

[Mr Janny]

It won't last forever.

That's what a lot of folks have been saying for the past couple years. And in the last 2 months, the league has signed a $1.5 billion dollar deal with Verizon to stream games, and gotten a deal for TNF that's 20% higher than the one they got 2 years ago.

So, yeah nothing lasts forever, but the NFL doesn't seem to be as damaged as a lot of people would have you believe.

 

[Mr Janny]

@AdamSchefter: NFL reached an agreement with FOX Sports to broadcast the next five seasons of Thursday Night Football beginning with the 2018 season - at $660 million per year.

$660 million. Ok, that's even higher than the source I quoted.

 

[3TrueFans]

So, yeah nothing lasts forever,

See, told ya. But seriously, I'm not saying the NFL isn't still a huge cash cow, but at some point the bottom is going to fall out if ratings do keep dropping or even stagnate for awhile.

 

[BCClone]

Time for the Big XII to renegotiate, right?

Crap, we have bowlsby as the guy, we're screwed.

 

[SCNCY]

Is this broadcast going to be on Big Fox, or one of the Fox Sports TV channels. If it is on Big Fox, I can see it doing better. In order to watch Thursday night football, didn't you have to have the NFL network, except for the first couple of game that were on CBS?

 

[JP4CY]

@AdamSchefter: NFL reached an agreement with FOX Sports to broadcast the next five seasons of Thursday Night Football beginning with the 2018 season - at $660 million per year.

If Schefty is right, $660 mil a year/11 games= $1 mil per game minute.

 

[3TrueFans]

Sounds like no Buck or Aikman in the booth, which is good if you were planning on watching any of these games.

 

[SCyclone]

Sounds like the only folks who like the Thursday night time slot are the suits in New York. Seriously, I don't know anyone who watches that night unless their team is on. And those color splash uniforms are grotesque......NFL must be channeling their inner Vince McMahon there.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Say what you will about Rodger Goodell but he is the king at negotiating TV contracts

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Those are some incredible numbers. Are games going to be 6 hours to get all the commercials in to pay for it?

 

[boone7247]

Lets not forget they will sell the streaming rights to these games as well. This has the potential to be even more at the end of the day that it is now.

Ratings may be down. But capturing live views is more important to the networks than ever.

 

[alarson]

See, told ya. But seriously, I'm not saying the NFL isn't still a huge cash cow, but at some point the bottom is going to fall out if ratings do keep dropping or even stagnate for awhile.

The thing is, you have to look at it in the bigger television picture. Yes, ratings are down. But ratings for all television are down, and have been dropping every year for quite awhile now. (down about 40% over the last 10 years.)

Meanwhile, with DVRs being ubiquitous now, advertisers know that live sports is one of the few things that they know the commercials will have a high chance of being aired to the viewer instead of skipped. So that airtime becomes the premium airtime on television.