The NFL has offered the networks a one-year package of Thursday night games, with all four current rightsholders and Turner Sports expected to bid.
As chronicled all week by Sports Business Daily, the NFL recently sent a request for proposal to ESPN, CBS, FOX, NBC, and Turner Sports for a one-year “Thursday Night Football” package. Networks can reportedly bid for a package of up to 13 games, but the NFL is expected to require that those games be simulcast on NFL Network.
Bids on the new package are due Friday.
Sports Business Daily reported Thursday that ESPN will place a bid for broadcast network ABC, which has not televised NFL games since losing “Monday Night Football” in 2005. As noted by the The New York Times, the NFL would prefer putting the new package on broadcast television, which would explain why ESPN would bid for ABC rather than keeping the games for itself — which has been the network’s practice in recent years.
With that in mind, one can also surmise that FOX, NBC and CBS will bid for their respective broadcast networks rather than Fox Sports 1, NBCSN or CBS Sports Network. Turner Sports, which does not have a presence on broadcast television, is considered a “long shot” (SBD, 10/16).
(Sports Business Daily [1], [2], The New York Times)
