The Role of Television Media on the NFL
Given that the NFL is the nation’s top ranked sporting league in terms of overall attendance and prestige, there is great attention directed towards all NFL contests at any level which are often broadcasted across a number of television channels and stations to a worldwide audience.
Rebecca Clarkson
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Television broadcasts of NFL games has remained a staple of the league since its early few years and even following the merger of the NFL and AFL back in the late 1960s with the first Superbowl game following on from this sudden change.
The first televised NFL contest came way back on October 22nd 1939 when the Philadelphia Eagles and former football franchise Brooklyn Dodgers faced off live on NBC with the game drawing in 13,057 fans in attendance and over 1,000 worldwide viewers on TV, with the Dodgers winning 23-14 over the Eagles thanks to Ralph Kercheval’s three field goals and Ace Parker’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Perry Schwartz in the third quarter of play.
Superbowl I was also aired to a worldwide audience which drew in official numbers of 26.75 million viewers on CBS and 24.43 average viewers on NBC with the normal 30-second advertisement cost likely ranging from $37,500 to $42,500 depending on which broadcast fans tuned into.
Of course, with both the NFL and media continuing to strive towards greater advancements in both technological and overall viewership, these numbers have since greatly expanded to over a hundred million viewers for various games across the league featuring any one of the thirty franchises that play every week.
Fans are now able to watch the NFL across various TV broadcasts whilst also gaining the opportunity to browse the latest NFL odds on the BetUS sportsbook to place their predictions in play as to who they believe will win the next live contest.
The NFL’s latest TV Deal:
The NFL is broadcast across a number of popular mainstream channels including ABC, ESPN, NBC, CBS, FOX and more recently Amazon Prime with other suitors also remaining in the running to broadcast future NFL contests on their own platform.
Currently, the NFL has penned a $105 billion deal with the aforementioned channels listed above which have since included Amazon Prime’s streaming of Thursday Night Football being the exclusive spot to catch a midweek game.
ABC are owned by Disney and will earn the annual Superbowl broadcast from 2026 to 2030 with ESPN retaining its streak of hosting Monday Night Football and a future divisional round playoff game whilst NBC will also continue to broadcast Sunday Night Football games.
Sunday afternoon games will be featured on FOX and CBS with the deal ultimately lasting until 2033 since its opening season in 2023.
After signing this monumental deal, NFL games are set to be broadcasted to a mass sum of audiences of different age groups with this $105 billion deal also being another major contributor towards the continued change and fluctuation of the league’s financial stance as players are now being offered a larger sum in wages and endorsements for their involvement in the NFL.
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How has television impacted the NFL?
There are various factors that have implemented the NFL’s continued success that can be attributed towards the developed and withstanding broadcasting of NFL games on national media sources since the league’s early years in operation.
Nationally televised games are a major catalyst towards the league’s continued success in drawing viewers as every casual NFL fan will be eager to watch the best and most popular teams in the league today such as the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and New England Patriots among others.
TV broadcasts also allows fans to catch a glimpse of the game from various different angles and means of viewing such as the implementation of the NFL’s instant replay which has allowed referees to utilize technology as a means to analyze any prior plays that could require further attention in an effort for officials to make the correct call, something that has since been met with a widespread amount of approval.
Television has also played an integral role in how coaches setup their squads and look back on previous games that may require further review, with the former legendary Cleveland Browns head coach, Paul Brown, being one the first coaching staff members to ever use film as a way to scout players and evaluate his squad after a previous game.
Alongside these amenities, television has also allowed viewers from across the globe to witness the NFL live in action and become more invested with the sport that they have since grown to adore, which has allowed the NFL to develop as a major global brand for viewers who love all things football.
Thanks to this continuous development of television media, the NFL’s on and off the field product has risen exponentially and it shows no sign of slowing down, as fans continue to tune into their favorite teams on a regular occurrence from different portions of the globe.
