The NFL is moving closer to selling a new Thursday Night Football package

[edjr 5,721]

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2014/january/the-nfl-is-moving-closer-to-selling-a-new-thursday-night-football-package.html

 

 

The National Football League is looking to sell half of the Thursday Night Football package that currently airs on NFL Network. For the last two seasons, NFL Network has aired 13 games. It appears that the NFL will increase the Thursday night schedule to 16 games meaning NFL Network and the winning bidder would split the package right down the middle.

 

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports that there would not be a shortage of bidders for the package.

Sports Business Journal's John Ourand tweets that this would be a one year deal that would be for the 2014 season.

 

An NFL spokesman confirmed to Awful Announcing that the league is seeking a new partner for the games:

 

"We want to accelerate the growth, quality and promotion of Thursday night NFL football. Bringing on a partner can help us accelerate our success across all the games. NFL Network has done a tremendous job building Thursday night and will retain games, but we are in discussions to air a part of the package with existing and potentially new broadcast and cable partners."

 

CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson quoting network insider Jason La Canfora writes that the NFL is seeking roughly $800 million for the eight game package and the winner would likely air the first half of the schedule with NFL Network taking the second half of the season, although the winning bidder would probably want that portion.

 

The Times' Sandomir says that the NFL would prefer to see the games on a broadcast network on either one of its current partners, CBS, Fox or NBC, but would not rule out having them on cable, i.e., Fox Sports 1, NBCSN or TNT should Turner Sports put forth a bid.

 

The NFL spokesman told Awful Announcing that no postseason games would be part of the package so this bid would be strictly for the regular season.

Expect plenty of bidders for this package. NBC would love to win this to put the games on NBCSN and it would be full circle for the network formerly known as Versus. Back in 2006, the NFL almost placed Thursday Night Football on Versus for a pricetag of $400 million. The NFL eventually decided to air them on NFL Network and you know the rest of the story.

 

Fox Sports 1 would desperately want the NFL to add to its portfolio of MLB, NASCAR, college sports, UFC, and coming next year, U.S. Open golf and the World Cup.

 

Turner Sports has wanted to get the NFL back for TNT since losing the first half of the Sunday Night Football package in 1998.

And one cannot rule out ESPN putting in a bid to possibly place the games on ABC.

The package would be finalized sometime in the spring. We'll be watching to see who wins this latest round of the NFL's "Let's Make a Deal."

 

 

 

100 million a game? 16 Thursday night games? Will it ever stop? What is next, Friday night games?

 

Why is the NFL trying to over-saturate the market and ruin it's product? Don't they have enough focking money already?

 

Moving to England?

 

The National Commercial League will never stop.

[MDC 5,967]

Why would the NFL stop when networks will gladly bid on the product and fans will keep watching it?

[Cruzer 1,993]

I actually love Thursday night football. It along with Sunday night football has all but killed MNF. It's crazy too - for so damn long MNF was the schnitz of schnitz. I miss Howard, Frank, and Dandy Don.

[RoadLizard 73]

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2014/january/the-nfl-is-moving-closer-to-selling-a-new-thursday-night-football-package.html

 

 

 

100 million a game? 16 Thursday night games? Will it ever stop? What is next, Friday night games?

 

Why is the NFL trying to over-saturate the market and ruin it's product? Don't they have enough focking money already?

 

Moving to England?

 

The National Commercial League will never stop.

Im with you 100%. Footbal is for Sunday. Not Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, or being played in Pakistan or where ever else that focking dooshbag Goodell wants next. I HATE Roger Godell with a passion. Hes making the game almost unwatchable. Hes taken away hitting, kickoffs, being able to play defense, and being able to touch QBs. Hes also pushing the international agenda trying to have games played in Sri lanka or something.

 

Mark my words - uniforms will have logos on them just like nascar. Trust me. Then, every play will be "brought to you by" preceeding it. Think that sounds crazy? Just wait....

 

What a focking a-hole.....

[NewbieJr 541]

In the last week or two, when there was no Thursday Night football, I really missed it. I'm all for extending it from 13 to 16 Thursdays. The more football, the better.

[edjr 5,721]

Im with you 100%. Footbal is for Sunday. Not Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, or being played in Pakistan or where ever else that focking dooshbag Goodell wants next. I HATE Roger Godell with a passion. Hes making the game almost unwatchable. Hes taken away hitting, kickoffs, being able to play defense, and being able to touch QBs. Hes also pushing the international agenda trying to have games played in Sri lanka or something.

 

Mark my words - uniforms will have logos on them just like nascar. Trust me. Then, every play will be "brought to you by" preceeding it. Think that sounds crazy? Just wait....

 

What a focking a-hole.....

 

I'm all for Logos on uniforms and the fields, so long as that means commercials only between quarters and half time. Like soccer.

 

None of this commercial after change of possession bullsh1t

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Since I dropped cable, I can only watch on Sundays. It is interesting how many times I even forget that there is a game on Mondays and Thursdays. I am not sure whether I want an over the air network to get the package or not.

[highsider5 36]

TNF is a win to me, I like it and would side with 16 games over 13 just because it's more ball for me... love football, so selfish there.

 

Putting any game on some obscure channel however is retarded. even thouh it's almost a lock that I will get it being a D* Sunday ticket minion, it's still stupid. Further, to place 8 games on someone like TNT or VS is just pathetic. Let those tards stick to what they know, basketball the the TDF, why you treat us like this

 

Honestly go collect your brainpower and resolve why the Thursday schedule typically contains games that nobody wants, with teams nobody follows. ok, bit of an overstatement there, but the the only thing that seemed to suck worse than last year's TNF schedule, is the NFLN coverage it was dished out with. Fix both by giving both to someone that knows WTF they are doing.

 

Dear NFL, do us all a favor... put interesting games on Thursdays, sell all 16 games to an exiting outlet with announcers we can stand, and instead of having to profit on a half sale, sell it all, keep half, give your share holders the other half, then take all the money you piss away on dumbarse London games and have a hookers n blow party or something... win win win.

[phillygrrl08 139]

I'm all for Logos on uniforms and the fields, so long as that means commercials only between quarters and half time. Like soccer.

 

None of this commercial after change of possession bullsh1t

Agree wholeheartedly. Conditioning players becomes less of a factor when players get two minute breaks every three minutes.

[The Football Guru 214]

With the exception of Thanksgiving, almost every team seems to hate playing on Thursday night. Making matters worse, teams are almost forced to be run-based because so few have the time to install their passing-game schemes on what amounts to one day of practice time (Wed) after taking Monday to recover and Tuesday to do film study (and maybe a light walk-through). If the NFL wants another revenue stream, the clear answer is an early and late MNF game. Teams really seem to enjoy playing on Monday and they have the benefit of installing everything while also doing it without working through the soreness of the previous week. It seems like an obvious answer to me, not another Thursday game

[weepaws 2,515]

i am a fan of the game . so i really don't lose if the nfl wants to show more games on more nights .and if they want to go back to no thursday games fine with me

[giraldi02 470]

Why not have a limited schedule ( ala interleague play...in the beginning) for a short period of time? Have the game scheduled prior to a bye week. I would guess it could be argued that it increases player safety for rest time too during the bye week. Thanksgiving isn't going away, so might as well just schedule all of them for the month of November.

Four games each week. Two AFC games, two NFC games. FOX, ESPN, NBC, CBS. Bye weeks for teams comes at a fair time for everyone (could make fantasy difficult though)

[IGotWorms 3,430]

Thursday night football sucks. I probably only watch two or three of those games per year and, honestly, it's two or three too many.

[MDC 5,967]

Thursday night football sucks. I probably only watch two or three of those games per year and, honestly, it's two or three too many.

I upgraded my cable package mostly to get the NFL network and I'm going to cancel it this year. The games are awful and even as a FF player I got better things to do.

[RoadLizard 73]

 

I'm all for Logos on uniforms and the fields, so long as that means commercials only between quarters and half time. Like soccer.

 

None of this commercial after change of possession bullsh1t

Yes, Ed. Im on board with this too.....

[hoytdwow 202]

Since I dropped cable, I can only watch on Sundays. It is interesting how many times I even forget that there is a game on Mondays and Thursdays. I am not sure whether I want an over the air network to get the package or not.

ditto

[GreenTD 56]

With the exception of Thanksgiving, almost every team seems to hate playing on Thursday night. Making matters worse, teams are almost forced to be run-based because so few have the time to install their passing-game schemes on what amounts to one day of practice time (Wed) after taking Monday to recover and Tuesday to do film study (and maybe a light walk-through). If the NFL wants another revenue stream, the clear answer is an early and late MNF game. Teams really seem to enjoy playing on Monday and they have the benefit of installing everything while also doing it without working through the soreness of the previous week. It seems like an obvious answer to me, not another Thursday game

Bingo! Just like in week 1, the NFL should install a 2nd MNF game instead of a TNF game for the above stated reasons. Makes perfect sense except that the NFL big wigs would rather fatten their pockets instead of putting a better product on the field.

[swirvenirvin 25]

Im with you 100%. Footbal is for Sunday. Not Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, or being played in Pakistan

um none of those things happen

[Dsausage 36]

I hate Goodell but love Football on Thurs, sat sun and mon. yesssssssss MOARRRR

[Serpent 51]

I think the Thursday game is what will make me quit fantasy football. It locks down rosters too long and I'm usually busy that day and can't even make my moves by that time. On Wednesdays you get your waiver claims, if someone shakes loose you can save your waiver for who was dropped. With Thursdays you frequently won't be able to get them in time, plus you don't know who will be inactive in the Sunday games either.

[RoadLizard 73]

um none of those things happen

Yet. Um.