Thursday Night Football Moves to Fox From CBS/NBC, in Massive 5-Year Deal
Facing an otherwise uncertain future, Fox has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to Thursday Night Football.
The massive five-year deal — which is valued at an annual $550 million — will go into effect this fall, with Fox set to broadcast 11 regular-season games between Weeks 4 and 15 of the NFL season, according to our sister site Variety. The deal excludes the Thanksgiving night game, which will continue to air on NBC.
The Thursday Night Football package, which initially consisted of eight games, was acquired by CBS as part of a two-year deal in 2014. Beginning in 2016, the NFL negotiated two five-game packages which were sold to CBS and NBC. Both networks thus had to start their regular Thursday lineups late, several weeks into the fall season, or take those scripted shows off the air for a month-plus, making for a hard-to-follow schedule.
Word of the Fox’s interest in Thursday Night Football came seven weeks after it was announced that the Walt Disney Company is expected to acquire 21st Century Fox in a merger valued at a staggering $52.4 billion. The deal, which does not include the Fox broadcasting network and “divorces” the home of Homer Simpson from its production studio, has led to doubt about the network’s future in the scripted content game. Should the merger be approved (which, by all accounts, could take 12 to 18 months), much of the broadcaster’s primetime lineup is expected to consist of news, live sports and cheap, unscripted fare.
This is great news. Now football will not screw up CBS and NBC Thursday night programming. If only they could figure out a way to fix the CBS football scheduling nightmare on Sunday nights.
Easy. Start the games at 12:00 and 3:30 instead of 1:00 and 4:30.
The Church going South, one of the NFL’s biggest markets, just went crazy. Also, starting at 1 on the east coast means 10 on the West coast. A noon start on the east is a 9 start on the west.
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The NFL doesn’t want people to get in the habit of skipping games to sleep, or go to church, or prepare/buy Sunday lunch.
The NFL had several games in London this past season, those games started at 9:30 Eastern, 6am west coast. You your point is kind of mute.
Everyone knows football comes before church.
You say that without actually quoting any ratings numbers for those games. I for one didnt see the game where my team played in London this season because it started so early.
Clearly the ratings are there for early football games because the NFL expanded to do that with more games.
I am hoping that this merger deals lead to renewal of non Fox owned shows like Gotham, Lucifer, B99 etc… for another season because the network wants to have something that will air on the network until the deal is finalized and they figure out what the want to air.
The question is, will the deal be official before shows like Brooklyn 99 get canceled (a high probability this year)?
Its probably just wishful thinking, but I’m hoping that Fox executives are already thinking about this. Better to have consistent, reliable performers that have an in built audience than risk too many new shows which may tank and may not even stay on the network for long.
So I guess Big Bang Theory will likely air for the full season on Thursdays… It did muck with momentum of the season and show. Might help other shows on the networks too…
Good. Fox is garbage on Thursday night. CBS and NBC can go back to normal scheduling in the Fall.
What? This season Fox had Gotham and The Orville on Thursdays. Two of the best shows on TV.
Your right the Orville is one of the best shows on any Network
Why has it ” led to doubt about the network’s future in the scripted content game”?? I’ve been following this deal and this article is the 1st I’ve seen any doubt about scripted shows on this “new” network. Everything I have read has not given me the slightest hint of this channel doing away with scripted series. Any source for your comment????
Maybe not do away with scripted entirely but there have been several articles that go in to detail about why New Fox (and that is what they are going with as the name of the network post deal at least for now), will drastically reduce the number of scripted series on the network.
Meh…I prefer Tony Romo (CBS) or Al Michaels/Mike Tirico (NBC) to Joe Buck (Fox), so I’m not thrilled by this.
In my opinion, Joe Buck does a much better job calling baseball than he does football. I’m a Cubs fan, and I didn’t mind too much hearing him call the 2016 World Series.
Tony Romo is surprisingly good in the CBS booth. He pairs up well with Jim Nantz who can be somewhat aloof. I also think Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth are a good match on NBC; Chris seems to calm Al down which is helpful. Not a Joe Buck fan. At all. Smarmy.
That’d probably be about the only bad thing about it being on Fox in my opinion. I am surprised how well Tony Romo is, and I do enjoy his commentary. He knows what he is talking about and isn’t just blowing hot air.
From what I’ve been reading, it sounds like the Fox’s TNF contract isn’t contingent on them using their top announcing team, unlike NBC and CBS’s tenures. Many think Fox will put their #2 guy, Kevin Burkhardt, or one of their top college guys, Gus Johnson, on the broadcast and save Buck/Aikman for their marquee Sunday games.
Welcome to the New Fox. Fox’s plan is less scripted shows and more reality and sports. This is only the start of what will be a major downsizing at the network.
Good for FOX Now it can win another night. Sad if FOX is going to go with non scripted almost everywhere else. The reality may be cheaper but its not as interesting
Ever since the digital tv switch we have been going back to the past on how we watch tv. First free OTA tv is back, and now we are going back to the “Big 3” networks.
What does the President have to say about this? He was all too happy to tout the NFL’s lower ratings and Nascar. Wasn’t Hannity also boycotting?
Good. No more of that stupid NBC skycam nonsense.
Thank god for no more screwed up schedules on Thursday. Really hated having to scramble around looking for something to watch while waiting for my normal shows to return.
Explains why CBS rebooted/renewed Murphy Brown. I wouldn’t be surprised if the show anchors Monday’s at 9 pm next season.
I find it kind of funny that we are going BACK to the big 3 networks, viewed OTA for free!
Good. Now my CBS shows can air properly on Thursdays all season long. No more screwy scheduling with them airing on Mondays for a couple months before going back to Thursday. Keep sports games on the sports channels.