The current broadcast contracts are set to last until 2033, but the NFL has the option to end them four years earlier. Recent developments suggest that the NFL will likely choose to renegotiate all broadcast deals starting in 2030.
The NBA’s recent lucrative deals have likely caught the NFL’s attention, leading them to anticipate even bigger contracts for their next set of broadcasts. The NFL’s discussions with Netflix for the 2024 Christmas games indicate their interest in attracting more partners.
In this high-stakes game of programming, having more interested broadcasters than available packages keeps prices high and rising.
This strategy makes sense considering the NFL’s ability to gather large live audiences, which is becoming increasingly rare in today’s fragmented media .
For broadcasters, it’s not just about selling traditional TV offerings anymore; it’s also about attracting viewers to streaming platforms, as demonstrated by Peacock’s success with a playoff game in January.
It’s also about advertising products to viewers, which motivated Amazon to introduce a Black Friday game. (Amazon probably isn’t happy about Christmas games going to another streaming service, as they could miss out on potential sales during a time when people might be ready to spend.)
The main broadcast packages include Sunday afternoon (two of them), Sunday Ticket, Sunday night, Monday night, and Thursday night. The NFL might also sell the Sunday morning European games and create other specific packages, like they did this year with Christmas.
Why not auction off the biggest games of the season to the highest bidder? Opening night. Friday night in Week 1, when it’s possible. Thanksgiving. Christmas.
With NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN/ABC, Amazon, Netflix, Google/YouTube already working with the NFL, the league can simply wait for offers to come in when (not if) the current contracts are ended four years early.
