It sounded like a remote possibility when first reported, but the prospect of a split Thursday Night Football contract has become increasingly realistic.
The NFL is now “more likely” to split Thursday Night Football among multiple networks than to keep it on a single network, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, with CBS and NBC “in the lead” to divvy up a ten game package (WSJ, 1/21). As is the case currently, NFL Network would simulcast each of the games on broadcast and air eight games of its own exclusively.
Sports Business Daily first reported the NFL’s interest in splitting the TNF package ten days ago, and Deadline reported the possibility of a CBS/NBC split last Thursday.
According to the Journal, the league’s plan is to have TNF alternate between the networks — with games hypothetically on CBS/NFLN one week, NBC/NFLN the next and NFL Network alone the week after. The common denominator in that chaotic mix is NFL Network, where viewers could eventually head by default to avoid confusion.
FOX remains in contention for the TNF package, though behind CBS/NBC.
(Thu. news from Wall Street Journal via Awful Announcing)
