This is so weird. New details keep leaking about the Thursday Night Football package currently up for bid among the current NFL TV partners and Turner Sports. John Ourand at Sports Business Daily dropped a bombshell on Wednesday, stating that no matter who wins a package of Thursday night games, they will be simulcast on NFL Network.
Earlier this week, we learned the NFL had put out to bid a package of Thursday night games. It was thought that the league would split the package down the middle, one half going to the winning bidder with the other half to NFL Network.
Ourand reports that the league has stipulated that the games whether they go to CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC or Turner will be aired on NFL Network as well. CBS’ Jason La Canfora reported that the league was hoping to get in the neighborhood of $800 million for the new package. With this new development, one has to think that the league would see significantly less than that if the networks have to share their games with the NFL Network.
While you think this might be crazy, the NFL is thinking the big picture here. It knows if NFL Network loses games, cable and satellite providers would seek reductions in the current $1.20 per subscriber fee. By keeping a full season of games simulcast or not, the league can say “We still have a full season of games on NFL Network and the fee will remain the same.”
Ourand also reports that the networks saw language that allows them to bid on as many games as they wanted from Weeks 2 through 16, the only games they could not touch are NBC’s season opener and its Thanksgiving night game. All of the other games are in play so a winning network can air the second half of the season so long as they allow their feeds to be aired on NFL Network as well.
The NFL wants to ensure the NFL Network is valuable to viewers in one form or another and keeping a full season of Thursday Night Football on the channel, no matter the cost.
UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: John Ourand reports that ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and Turner are planning to bid for the package. ESPN would have conflicts putting NFL games on Thursdays on its networks due to college football. The NFL’s desire to have Thursday night games on a broadcast network would befit putting them on ABC. Ourand says at this point, Turner is a long shot. And the NFL would have the games simulcast on NFL Network.
