NFL Agrees to New TV Rights Deal With Broadcast Partners

The NFL has agreed to a new TV rights deals with its broadcast partners, the league announced today in a press release. The new deal will allow CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon to exclusively broadcast NFL games throughout the regular season and playoffs. Per the NFL:

"MARCH 18, 2021: The National Football League announced today that it has signed long-term agreements with media partners Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, and NBC for the distribution of NFL games, the industry's most valuable content, over television and digital platforms, as well as additional media rights. With these agreements, the NFL has expanded its digital footprint to reach a broader audience while maintaining its commitment to keep all NFL games on over-the-air television. The new agreements will begin with the 2023 season and run through the 2033 season. "These new media deals will provide our fans even greater access to the games they love. We're proud to grow our partnerships with the most innovative media companies in the market," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Along with our recently completed labor agreement with the NFLPA, these distribution agreements bring an unprecedented era of stability to the League and will permit us to continue to grow and improve our game.""

The new deal will nearly double the NFL's media rights revenue, up to a whopping $10 billion annually. Over the life of the 11-year deal, the league stands to make over $100 billion. Per AP:

"The league took in $5.9 billion a year in its current contracts. It will get $113 billion over the 11 seasons of the new deals that begin in 2023, an increase of 80% over the previous such period, a person with direct knowledge of the contracts told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the money figures were not made public."

Other than the mind-blowing dollar signs, the biggest news is Amazon secured exclusive rights to broadcast Thursday Night Football in this new deal, a change-up from previous years where the games were simulcast on NFL Network, FOX and Amazon Prime.

The NFL has also granted increased flexibility in terms of moving games in and out of the primetime Sunday and Monday night slots. This is big for ESPN, which used to not have that power.

The new arrangements also give ESPN/ABC a spot in the Super Bowl rotation, which was previously only occupied by CBS, NBC, and FOX.

Here's the new Super Bowl broadcast rotation.

• CBS: 2023, 2027, 2031
• FOX: 2024, 2028, 2032
• NBC: 2025, 2029, 2033
• ESPN/ABC: 2026, 2030