Sinton94
04-19-2005, 12:18 PM
Football shuffle: MNF to ESPN; NBC gets Sundays
In a new NFL prime-time TV lineup announced Monday, NBC returned, ABC departed and ESPN changed nights. The league, of course, got much richer.
Starting in 2006, Disney's ESPN will inherit Monday night games from corporate cousin ABC, which has had the package since its inception in 1970. Also, NBC will resume NFL telecasts for the first time since the 1997 season with Sunday night games, now on ESPN.
ESPN will pay about $1.1 billion a year under its new, eight-year deal, the NFL said. That's double what ABC has been paying. ESPN becomes the biggest spender on NFL TV fees, topping Fox's average of $712.5 million under a six-year deal starting in 2006.
Do you think Madden and Michaels will move over as well?
In a new NFL prime-time TV lineup announced Monday, NBC returned, ABC departed and ESPN changed nights. The league, of course, got much richer.
Starting in 2006, Disney's ESPN will inherit Monday night games from corporate cousin ABC, which has had the package since its inception in 1970. Also, NBC will resume NFL telecasts for the first time since the 1997 season with Sunday night games, now on ESPN.
ESPN will pay about $1.1 billion a year under its new, eight-year deal, the NFL said. That's double what ABC has been paying. ESPN becomes the biggest spender on NFL TV fees, topping Fox's average of $712.5 million under a six-year deal starting in 2006.
Do you think Madden and Michaels will move over as well?