NFL’s Media Rights Negotiations: The Dust Finally Settles

Philadelphia Eagles fans will have new ways to watch their team lose next season, and marketers will have new ways to reach them in their moment of pain. Last week, the NFL announced its broadcast partners through Tom Brady’s projected retirement year, 2033.

Familiar faces: You won’t have to search too hard to find your team. CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon are all retaining their broadcasting rights with the league.

Unfamiliar places: Even if you’ve cut the cord, you’ll still be able to stream games on many broadcasters’ streaming services.

• Paramount+ will be home to any game broadcast on CBS, and ESPN+ will get anything running on ABC and ESPN. ABC has also picked up two Super Bowls, its first since 2006.
• Amazon Prime will get exclusive rights to the league’s least watched (but still incredibly popular) Thursday Night Football broadcasts, reportedly spending $1.2 billion annually for the rights.

It wasn’t cheap: It’s believed the deals are valued at around $113 billion over the next 11 years. But broadcasters are probably not too concerned. Last season, brands spent roughly $4.5 billion to advertise during the NFL’s regular season alone.