All three of next year’s NFL London games may air exclusively on the internet. In other news, ESPN has to compensate advertisers after College Football Playoff ratings dropped, and Major League Soccer is moving up from ESPN2 to ESPN.
Report: NFL to Stream All Three London Games Next Year
- The NFL is in talks with Google, Apple and other digital outlets to exclusively live stream all three of next season’s London games, Reuters reported Friday. It was not immediately clear whether one company would receive all three games, or the games would be divided among multiple bidders. In October, a Bills/Jaguars game from London became the first NFL game to ever air exclusively via live stream, generating 1.6 million viewers per minute on Yahoo!. (Reuters)
ESPN Owes Advertisers Make Goods For CFP Shortfall
- ESPN owes advertisers $20 million in “make goods” (i.e., free ad space in future telecasts) after ratings for the College Football Playoff semifinals declined by more than a third, according to Broadcasting & Cable. Anticipating declines, ESPN left space available in Monday’s CFP National Championship Game and Saturday’s NFL Wild Card coverage. The shortfall between the ratings guaranteed to advertisers and the actual numbers was so steep, however, that the network will likely need to make further space available later in the year. (Broadcasting & Cable)
MLS Promoted to ESPN Mothership
- ESPN announced Friday that 28 of its 33 Major League Soccer telecasts this season will air on the primary ESPN network, a shift from previous years when most matches aired on ESPN2. Last season, ESPN2 was scheduled to air 31 of the 33 match windows, though several moved to ESPN as the season wore on. Coverage will air primarily on Sunday afternoons. (ESPN Media Zone)
