The NFL has apparently rethought putting a playoff game exclusively on cable.
ESPN announced Tuesday that its NFL Wild Card Game will be simulcast on ABC this season, a decision the network made “in conjunction with the NFL to maximize the audience across the two networks” (ESPN, 5/12). The game will be ABC’s first NFL broadcast since the 2006 Super Bowl.
The simulcast ensures that all NFL playoff games will be available on a broadcast network.
The move comes months after ESPN made its playoff debut with the Cardinals/Panthers Wild Card Game, marking the first time that an NFL playoff game aired exclusively* on cable. While it was among the most-watched programs in cable TV history, it was also the least-watched NFL playoff game in six years — and the lowest rated in at least 17.
Given that ESPN usually likes to keep the big events for itself — from the College Football Playoff to Wimbledon and the British Open — it seems highly likely that the NFL was the driving force behind the decision.
* As is the practice with NFL games on cable, Cardinals/Panthers was simulcast on broadcast networks in the home markets.
(Tue. news from ESPN Media Zone)
