NFL Sets New Rights Deals

The National Football League (NFL) has sealed new long-term agreements with Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX and NBC, beginning in the 2023 season and running through 2033.

“These new media deals will provide our fans even greater access to the games they love,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We’re proud to grow our partnerships with the most innovative media companies in the market. Along with our recently completed labor agreement with the NFLPA, these distribution agreements bring an unprecedented era of stability to the League and will permit us to continue to grow and improve our game.”

Amazon Prime Video has acquired the rights to be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football across hundreds of compatible digital devices. The platform will deliver 15 Thursday Night Football games and one pre-season game per year in the U.S. “NFL games are the most-watched live programming in the United States, and this unprecedented Thursday Night Football package gives tens of millions of new and existing Prime members exclusive access to must-watch live football on Prime Video,” said Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “NFL fans from across the country will enjoy a premium viewing experience with Thursday Night Football, as well as access to a broad selection of content including award-winning Amazon Originals available on Prime Video.”

CBS has renewed the rights to the American Football Conference (AFC) package of Sunday afternoon games. The games will air on the network and will be streamed live on Paramount+. CBS has the rights to the Super Bowl in 2023, 2027 and 2031. “We are thrilled to extend and expand our long-term partnership with the NFL to create even more value for ViacomCBS and for NFL fans,” said Bob Bakish, president and CEO of ViacomCBS. “[This] groundbreaking deal ensures that more big games will be available on CBS and Paramount+, with greater NFL programming opportunities featured across all ViacomCBS platforms including Pluto TV, vastly expanding the NFL’s reach among younger audiences in a rapidly evolving media landscape. NFL football is both a pillar of CBS Sports and huge differentiator for our streaming strategy, and our extensive partnership with the NFL will be fundamental to further driving growth and engagement on Paramount+ for years to come.”

ESPN remains the home of Monday Night Football, while ABC has acquired the rights to televise two Super Bowls (2026, 2030) along with exclusive regular season games. The deal will also see ESPN+ subscribers gain access to one International Series game every season. Plus, ESPN+ can simulcast all the NFL games broadcast on ABC and ESPN. Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, commented, “This landmark agreement guarantees that ESPN’s passionate fan base will continue to have access to the best the NFL has to offer. Bringing all the considerable and unique capabilities of The Walt Disney Company and ESPN to the table opens up so many opportunities across our industry-leading direct-to-consumer, broadcast, cable, linear, social and digital outlets. Special thanks to Roger Goodell and the NFL owners for continuing to embrace new ways to appeal to their fans, especially through increasingly important platforms like ESPN+.”

FOX will continue to produce the National Football Conference (NFC) package of Sunday afternoon games. The network also picked up additional digital rights, allowing its AVOD platform Tubi to stream NFL content. FOX is the home of the Super Bowl in 2024, 2028 and 2032. Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation, noted, “In addition to maintaining our leading Sunday afternoon NFC package, we are pleased to broaden our deal to include new digital rights that provide us with the flexibility to deliver NFL on FOX to customers in expanded and innovative ways. This long-term agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver the best in football coverage to our viewers while also strengthening and providing optionality to our business.”

Sunday Night Football will continue to be produced by NBC Sports for broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The streaming service will also deliver an exclusive feed of a select number of NFL games over the course of the agreement. NBC will air the Super Bowl in 2025, 2029 and 2033. “Sunday Night Football has been television’s most-watched prime-time show for a decade, and we look forward to continuing our best-in-class presentation of SNF, Super Bowls, and playoff games for many years to come, while also broadening our audience with Peacock becoming the live streaming home for all NBC NFL games,” said Pete Bevacqua, chairman of NBC Sports Group.