ESPN Radio joins Compass Media, Dial Global and Sports USA in airing Sunday afternoon NFL games across the country. Unlike the primetime and postseason games which are exclusive to Dial Global, the National Football League allows Sunday afternoon games to be syndicated nationally on radio.
ESPN Radio has signed the exclusive out-of-market radio rights to five teams. The network will have rights to the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN Radio will have the rights to air the games on radio throughout the US, but into the local markets. And there are no streaming rights.
According to John Ourand at Sports Media Journal, ESPN Radio is seeking the out-of-market rights to other teams.
Play-by-play men will be announced at a later date. ESPN says current analysts Herman Edwards, Bill Polian and Damien Woody are expected to be part of the broadcasts.
Here’s the ESPN Radio announcement.
ESPN Radio Enters NFL Sunday Afternoon National Syndication Business
Dolphins, Giants, Jets, Patriots, Steelers Games Broadcast
ESPN Radio has signed individual multi-year agreements with the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins for out-of-market Sunday afternoon syndication rights beginning with the 2013 season. These agreements mark the first time ESPN Radio will broadcast NFL game action nationally on its over-the-air terrestrial network.
The teams will continue to broadcast in their home markets through their official local stations.
“Adding the NFL to ESPN Radio’s play-by-play mix, which already includes MLB, NBA, BCS, and the new college football championship starting in 2015, strengthens an already unparalleled and valuable lineup to advertisers, our affiliates and sports fans,” said Traug Keller, ESPN senior vice president, production business divisions. “We are excited to enter the NFL game business.”
ESPN NFL analysts Herm Edwards, Bill Polian and Damien Woody will each work several of ESPN Radio’s national broadcasts. Additional commentators and the complete schedule will be announced at a later date.
ESPN Radio Play-by-Play Lineup
In addition to MLB, NBA, BCS and the new college football championship (begins in 2015), ESPN Radio also has long-term rights agreements to broadcast the ACC and Pac-12 college football championship games, the ACC college basketball tournament and the US Open.
That is all.
