Report: ESPN and NFL close to a new deal for MNF

[KeithE4]

10 years at $1.8 to 1.9 billion per. This is up from the current $1.1 billion per year that expires in 2013. This deal will run through 2023 and might include a playoff game, should the league expand it from 12 to 14 teams. It's not a done deal yet, but it's reported to be close.

And you wonder why your cable bill is so high? Most of that $4 you're paying for ESPN is going straight to the NFL, NCAA/BCS, NBA, and MLB. :

Link: ESPN
Link: Sporting News

 

[DToTheJ]

Re: "And you wonder why your cable bill is so high? Most of that $4 you're paying for ESPN is going straight to the NFL, et al..."

We discussed this:
http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=179409.msg1567159#msg1567159

You know, it wouldn't surprise me if the Saturday "Wild Card" games eventually ended up on ESPN... or the NFL Network, for that matter...

 

[KTU_Fan]

I'm all for it if it keep the NHL away from ESPN

 

[BRNout]

Meh, to me it's a shame. ESPN and the NFL have managed to ruin the entire Monday Night Football franchise. Every Monday night game used to be a national event back when MNF was on ABC. With ESPN, it's become a fringe, non-event; just a game. And NBC's Sunday Night Football game has failed to pick up where the old MNF left off. Again, just another game.

Yeah, both franchises do fine, but it's a shame nonetheless. I look forward to the day that ESPN loses Monday Night Football to one of the broadcast networks.

 

[KeithE4]

I look forward to the day that ESPN loses Monday Night Football to one of the broadcast networks.

By the time this deal expires in 2023, the broadcast networks as we know them today will probably no longer exist.

 

[BRNout]

I look forward to the day that ESPN loses Monday Night Football to one of the broadcast networks.

By the time this deal expires in 2023, the broadcast networks as we know them today will probably no longer exist.

You're probably right. But I would still love to see it.......

 

[radioguy555]

At the very least, this keeps the NFL playing on Monday nights. I know it used to be more of an "event" on ABC and all that. But after a long hard day at the office coming off the weekend, nothing is better than turning on the tube for some football regardless of what channel it's on.

 

[buster2]

MNF on ABC was an event more because of the chemistry between the announcers, especially in the days when it was Don Meredith, Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford. Those days are looooong gone. MNF was pulled from ABC because the ratings were slipping and it simply wasn't the cultural event it was during the 70s and 80s. And that fact is true about a lot of network TV. The days of a "Who shot JR?" kind of event are largely gone too, because of the proliferation of cable nets. Cable is where it's at, and MNF belongs on ESPN.

 

[justthenumbers]

MNF on ABC was an event more because of the chemistry between the announcers, especially in the days when it was Don Meredith, Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford. Those days are looooong gone. MNF was pulled from ABC because the ratings were slipping and it simply wasn't the cultural event it was during the 70s and 80s. And that fact is true about a lot of network TV. The days of a "Who shot JR?" kind of event are largely gone too, because of the proliferation of cable nets. Cable is where it's at, and MNF belongs on ESPN.

Agreed 100%. And unlike ESPN, ABC (as an individual entity) does not have a second revenue stream to fall back on when ratings begin to slip.

 

[radiolives]

ESPN is a network worth paying for. Sure some might not agree.

 

[imhomerjay]

MNF on ABC was an event more because of the chemistry between the announcers, especially in the days when it was Don Meredith, Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford. Those days are looooong gone. MNF was pulled from ABC because the ratings were slipping and it simply wasn't the cultural event it was during the 70s and 80s. And that fact is true about a lot of network TV. The days of a "Who shot JR?" kind of event are largely gone too, because of the proliferation of cable nets. Cable is where it's at, and MNF belongs on ESPN.

Precisely

 

[philosofy]

I love when ESPN reports on rumors about EPSN.

ESPN, responding to the story, said in a statement: "We continue to have conversations with the NFL and have not yet reached a new agreement."

It makes my head hurt to read these things sometimes because its such a circular bit of reporting.

 

[liradioisbad]

The reason why MNF is on ESPN to begin with all has to do with the Sunday Night game. Since ratings are usually higher on Sunday nights, the NFL wanted that to become the marquee game night. Not to mention they had the idea of flex scheduling, since there were quite the number of Monday Night stinkers at that point (and flexing games to Mondays would be more of a problem). ABC was going to carry it, but after Desperate Housewives and such were successful upon their debut, they passed and NBC picked up the Sunday Night games.

In any case, it's a shame that ESPN is at the point where they have that much power on sports and cable bills.

 

[DToTheJ]

And even if ABC did carry the Sunday night game, how soon before it received the "ESPN on ABC" branding?

 

[justthenumbers]

And even if ABC did carry the Sunday night game, how soon before it received the "ESPN on ABC" branding?

It probably would have received it right away - wasn't "ESPN on ABC" already in place by the time (start of 2006 season) that the Sunday/Monday night shuffling took place?

 

[radioguy555]

And even if ABC did carry the Sunday night game, how soon before it received the "ESPN on ABC" branding?

It probably would have received it right away - wasn't "ESPN on ABC" already in place by the time (start of 2006 season) that the Sunday/Monday night shuffling took place?

Yes, the "ESPN on ABC" branding went into effect before the 2006 college/pro football season.

So was there a possibility NBC could have gotten the MNF package instead? Or would the games have been on ABC on Sunday night and ESPN Monday night? That could have been very interesting.