Flex scheduling comes to Amazon for the first time; the NBA Cup final will air on ABC in a new schedule; Jason Kelce’s late-night debut is set; and ESPN has begun discussing a renewal of its F1 rights.
Amazon gets first TNF flex
The NFL has exercised flex scheduling to remove the scheduled Week 16 Thursday Night Football matchup of the 3-8 Browns and 4-7 Bengals from primetime national television. Browns-Bengals will move to 1 PM on Sunday on FOX, and Broncos-Chargers will move from 4:05 on FOX to Thursday night.
This is the first use of flex scheduling to modify the Thursday Night Football schedule, which was approved by NFL owners prior to the 2023 season. This provision is only permitted in weeks 13-17, and must be done at least four full weeks in advance.
NBA Cup Final to air on ABC
The NBA announced the broadcast schedule for the knockout stage of this year’s NBA Cup, with the final set for Tuesday, December 17 on ABC in Las Vegas. The final aired on ABC last year, but in a Saturday night window. The semifinals will be played on the equivalent Saturday this year (December 14), with one on ABC in primetime and the other on TNT. TNT will also air three quarterfinals at home arenas on December 10-11, with ESPN airing the fourth.
Both ABC games will be simulcast on ESPN+, along with the Christmas Day NBA games, and every NFL and college football game that has aired on ABC this season.
In the new rights deals that begin with the 2025-26 season, Amazon will exclusively air all games in the knockout stage of the tournament.
Jason Kelce show confirmed
ESPN has officially announced its new limited-run late-night comedy program “They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce“, which will debut at 1 AM ET on Saturday, January 4 (late Friday night). The news was announced by Kelce during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday night.
The show will run for 5 consecutive weeks during the NFL playoffs. After the initial airing of each episode on ESPN, the show will be made available on ESPN+ and YouTube, with Saturday morning encores airing on ESPN2.
The Monday Night Countdown analyst and former Eagles center will host the show from Union Transfer in Philadelphia in front of a live studio audience. Kelce will be joined by athletes and celebrities in a format that draws its inspiration from traditional late-night comedy programs. Philadelphia’s SNACKTIME will serve as the house band.
NFL Films will produce the show in conjunction with Kelce’s Wooderboy Productions and Skydance Sports.
ESPN, F1 open renewal talks
ESPN and Formula One have begun discussions on the renewal of their current rights agreement, according to Sports Business Journal. The two sides are in an exclusive negotiating window that runs through the end of the year.
F1 races have aired exclusively on ESPN platforms in the US under two successive rights deals that began in 2018 and 2023. The first Formula 1 race ever aired in the US was on ABC in 1962.
