NFL Signs $113B+ Media Rights Deal With CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, Amazon

By Barry Janoff

March 19, 2021: Thanks to a flurry of new media deals, we now know where to watch the Super Bowl through 2033, which would be Super Bowl LXVII) in the NFL’s Roman numeral configuration.

The NFL has signed long-term agreements with media partners Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, Fox and NBC for the distribution of NFL games over television and digital platforms, as well as additional media rights.

The new agreements will begin with the 2023 season and run through the 2033 season.

Financial terms were not disclosed but were put in excess of $113 billion by industry analysts.

“The NFL is the most valuable content in all of media,” Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports, said via the company.

According to Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, “When ESPN and the NFL work best together, the results are transformational for sports fans and the industry.”

ESPN will pay an average of $2.7 billion per season.

Fox will average $2.25 billion a year

CBS will be paying $2.1 billion a year

NBC will pay $2 billion a year, all according to industry analysts.

Amazon Prime Video will be the exclusive provider for Thursday Night Football, paying $1 billion per year, according to industry analysts.

NFL Network, the television home of the NFL, will continue to televise a select schedule of exclusive NFL games on a yearly basis.

The league takes in $5.9 billion a year under its current contracts.

"These new media deals will provide our fans even greater access to the games they love,” commissioner Roger Goodell said via the league.

“We're proud to grow our partnerships with the most innovative media companies in the market.

"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."

New elements include ESPN/ABC becoming part of the Super Bowl rotation for the first time since Super Bowl XL (2006), with the Big Game scheduled for ESPN/ABC in 2026 (LX) and then 2030 (LXIV).

ESPN will increase its regular-season schedule by 35% — six more games per year (from 17 to 23).

It will include an ESPN game on Monday nights (including three weeks with a separate game on ABC), a Saturday doubleheader the season’s final week and the Sunday morning game on ESPN+. Monday Night Football has been aired on ESPN in primetime since 2006.

As part of these agreements, there will be an increased ability to flex games to Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football allowing fans to watch more meaningful games in prime time.

NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, will serve as the exclusive national home of six NFL regular-season games – one each year from 2023-28.

The NFL said its media partners would now have greater ability to innovate around their productions and provide interactive elements such as stats/data, chat and integrated social feeds as part of their digital presentations.

In addition, there will be alternate presentations of select NFL games in addition to each partner's main production similar to the one's that aired during the 2020 post-season via ESPN's MegaCast and CBS Sports' presentation on Nickelodeon.

CBS, Fox and NBC will each televise three Super Bowls while ABC will carry two during the term of the agreements.

Super Bowl LVI is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2022 on NBC in SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles.

The following is the Super Bowl broadcast schedule through 2033:

• CBS: 2023 (LVII), 2027 (LXI), 2031 (LXV)

• FOX: 2024 (LVIII), 2028 (LXII), 2032 (LXVI)

• NBC: 2025 (LVIX), 2029 (LXIII), 2033 (LXVII)

• ESPN/ABC: 2026 (LX), 2030 (LXIV)

“We are thrilled to extend and expand our long-term partnership with the NFL to create even more value for ViacomCBS and for NFL fans,” Bob Bakish, president and CEO, ViacomCBS, said via the company

“(This) groundbreaking deal ensures that more big games will be available on CBS and Paramount+, with greater NFL programming opportunities featured across all ViacomCBS platforms including Pluto TV, vastly expanding the NFL’s reach among younger audiences in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

“NFL football is both a pillar of CBS Sports and huge differentiator for our streaming strategy, and our extensive partnership with the NFL will be fundamental to further driving growth and engagement on Paramount+ for years to come.”

According ESPN’s Pitaro, “There are so many exciting new components, including Super Bowls and added playoff games, new end-of-season games with playoff implications, exclusive streaming games on ESPN+, scheduling flexibility and enhancements, and much more. It’s a wide-ranging agreement unlike any we’ve reached with the NFL, and we couldn’t be more energized about what the future holds.”

Fox renewed its agreement to produce the National Football Conference package of Sunday afternoon games that it acquired in 1994.

Fox expanded its digital rights, including for its AVOD streaming platform Tubi to deliver NFL programming on digital platforms. Fox will create an NFL experience on Tubi consisting of premiere VOD as well as condensed games throughout the NFL season

The network also extended its rights to continue America’s leading free-to-play wagering game, Fox Bet Super 6

Fox Bet will receive authorized sportsbook operator status if, and when, the NFL approves official sportsbook operators for its officially licensed intellectual property

Fox Deportes gained additional Spanish language rights

“We are pleased to broaden our deal to include new digital rights that provide us with the flexibility to deliver NFL on Fox to customers in expanded and innovative ways,” Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman and CEO, said via Fox.

This long-term agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver the best in football coverage to our viewers while also strengthening and providing optionality to our business.”

With the new agreement,  NBC and Peacock will present Sunday Night Football through 2033 – a span of 28 seasons for NBC since its 2006 debut.

In addition, beginning with the upcoming 2021 season, Peacock will stream all NBC Sunday Night Football games and the Football Night in America studio show. Peacock will also produce a new exclusive, expanded post-game show following Sunday Night Football each week.

"These distribution agreements bring an unprecedented era of stability to the league and will permit us to continue to grow and improve our game."

Telemundo Deportes Spanish-language, will present all NBC NFL games on television in Spanish beginning in 2023, also available to be live streamed on Peacock.

“Sunday Night Football has been television’s most-watched prime-time show for a decade,” Pete Bevacqua, chairman, NBC Sports Group, said via the company. 

“We look forward to continuing our best-in-class presentation of Sunday Night Football, Super Bowls, and playoff games for many years to come, while also broadening our audience with Peacock becoming the live streaming home for all NBC NFL games.”

With its new multi-platform agreement, CBS retains the rights for the American Football Conference package of Sunday afternoon games. All games will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network and streamed live on Paramount+, ViacomCBS' flagship streaming service.

“The NFL has been a cornerstone of CBS Sports programming for more than 60 years.,” said CBS Sports McManus.

“The NFL is the most valuable content in all of media, and we are excited that the deal allows for more Sunday afternoon games than ever before and we retain the NFL’s most-watched time slot.

“This wide-ranging deal includes significantly expanded rights, and we look forward to continued growth and to maximizing the enormous value of the NFL across all of our CBS Sports platforms.”

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