It was inevitable that the NFL Network would eventually team up with one of the major networks to provide expanded coverage of NFL football games.
The commissioner’s office announced last week that they have entered into an agreement with CBS Sports to present 8 Thursday Night Football games that were previously offered only on the NFL Network.
CBS will produce a total of 14 Thursday Night games and two Saturday evening games. The rest will still be available on the NFL Network. However, the eight games that CBS will broadcast will be simulcast on the NFL Network.
CBS Corporation President and CEO Les Moonves told the press, “We are very please to build on our outstanding partnership with the NFL by expanding our coverage to Thursday nights. CBS is a premium content company and the NFL represents the best premium content there is. I look forward to all this new deal will do for us not only on Thursday nights, but across our entire schedule.”
The familiar faces and voices of Jim Nantz, doing the play-by-play and former NFL quarterback Phil Simms who will provide the color commentary. Additionally we will hear from the CBS Sports announcers for pregame, halftime and postgame shows.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seemed very pleased with the new deal which he was surely instrumental in putting together. He said, “The NFL Network built Thursday into a night for NFL fans. Our goal is to bring these games to more fans on broadcast television with unprecedented promotion and visibility for Thursday Night Football on CBS.”
The agreement between the league and the network is only set for one year. However, the NFL does hold the option for an additional year’s extension.
While many may miss Mike Mayock and Brad Nessler in the announcers box, this change has been coming for awhile now and probably marks only the beginning of future pacts between the leagues and the networks as professional sports in the USA are growing more popular than ever before.
Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, told reporters, “The NFL is the most powerful programming in television. To add a primetime NFL package to our successful Sunday AFC package further strengthens our position in the sports marketplace. We look forward to having Jim and Phil and our top production team showcased in prime time on Thursday night.”
We should see some great matchups next year with this new primetime deal. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t wait for the first Thursday Night Football Game to get underway!
