The NFL’s equity stake in Paramount is far less than the ten percent the league is expected to take in ESPN, CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson said Tuesday.
Berson shed light on the NFL’s stake in CBS parent company Paramount on Tuesday, saying at the network’s NFL media day that the stake is “significantly less than what has been announced with ESPN.” The NFL is set to take a ten percent stake in ESPN as part of a proposed transaction announced last week.
When asked how the NFL becoming a shareholder in the new company could alter things, Berson said that he does not believe “it changes much at all.” In addition, he explained that the league has always had a best interest in everyone doing well and that it has made this sentiment clear.
“Having stakes in different entities is not new for them,” Berson said. “They have Fanatics, they have SportsLine, and remember, NFL Network, they did that. People were worried, ‘How would that be?’ I think they proved that they can do deals at arm’s length, and I would anticipate it continues that way.”
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the NFL would have equity in CBS upon the close of the Skydance transaction. In a subsequent interview with CNBC, Berson divulged that the league “is actually now an investor in Paramount” through the joint venture with Skydance Sports.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, it should be noted, visited the new Paramount company on Tuesday morning.
“Roger talks constantly, including this morning, about their No. 1 priority is reach. CBS is the No. 1 network, 17 straight years,” Berson said. “You heard me talk about all the incredible viewership we had despite various other entities having a game or two here or there. … so as David Ellison said last week, we anticipate being in business for a very long time.”
As far as this coming season, Berson revealed that CBS Sports will unveil a new streaming-exclusive Sunday NFL pregame show titled “The NFL Today+” on Paramount+, CBS Sports HQ and the “NFL on CBS” YouTube Channel. The program will make its debut on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. EST and air for two hours with a cast to be announced at a later date.
The show will lead into “The NFL Today” with James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and Matt Ryan, which is entering its milestone 50th season on the air. To help commemorate, longtime host Brent Musburger will return to the studio in Week 3 to participate in a throwback version of the program.
