Disney, NFL close in on deal to put ABC back in Super Bowl rotation
A massive domino is closing in the NFL TV rights battle and the winners are Disney/ABC/ESPN, per John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.
ABC has been out of the Super Bowl rotation since 2006 but will be no more.
#BREAKING: Sources: Disney and the #NFL have reached a broad agreement on a new media rights deal that will see @ESPN renew “Monday Night Football” and ABC return to the #SuperBowl rotation for the first time since 2006 (@Ourand_SBJ).
Free to read: https://t.co/DXbZRGuPXH pic.twitter.com/dznGFoL2kc
— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) February 26, 2021
Disney and the NFL have reached a broad agreement on a new media rights deal that will see ESPN renew “MNF” and ABC return to the Super Bowl rotation for the first time since ‘06, according to sources. Contracts still have not been signed, but the two sides have smoothed over enough differences that a deal is very close at hand.
Sources said Disney is expected to pay an increase of up to 30% from its current deal, which based on an average of $2B per year would equate to around $2.6B. An agreement comes after news leaked last week of a stalemate between the two sides, which initially were so far apart in price that some ESPNers questioned whether to cut a deal.
The remaining pieces of the TV puzzle are falling in the same places they have been with CBS holding the key AFC rights, FOX retaining its NFC stronghold, and NBC keeping “Sunday Night Football.”
The lone question mark — and it is a big one — is where will “Thursday Night Football” wind up? FOX currently has the first game of the new week but there has been wide speculation it could wind up with Amazon or another outlet in addition to NFL Network.
The announcement could come as soon as next week, SBJ reported, according to media execs.
