NFL confirms that traditional network relationships still exist under new deals

The league likes to now say that, under the broadcast deals that became activated this year, every game is a “free agent,” a “jump ball.”

The NFL reiterated the point during a Friday conference call that, indeed, any game can now be televised on any network, including games that previously would have been the exclusive property of one network. (For example, Cowboys-Giants on a Sunday afternoon always would have been on Fox.)

But the league also acknowledged that a minimum appearance requirements apply to each team on the networks with which the packages are affiliated. The NFL declined to provide a specific number, saying only that it was/is roughly half the schedule.

So, yes, any given game can end up on any network. But it’s a power that can be exercised on a limited basis. This is something that needs to be remembered when considering the reality that any game can land on any network.

The blanket statement creates the impression that the 272 games were thrown into a blender without regard to network. They weren’t, and they aren’t.

There will still be, for example, a certain number of Chiefs games that will appear on CBS, each and every year.

NFL confirms that traditional network relationships still exist under new deals originally appeared on Pro Football Talk