The high-stakes game of what networks will wind up with what NFL packages is in full force. And Friday came word that ABC — the former home of “Monday Night Football” — could become a player to land a live package for the first time in 15 years.
ABC had “Monday Night Football” for decades before it was moved to ESPN by the honchos. There is the potential ABC and ESPN would land packages,
SOURCES: ABC is poised to possibly land its first live NFL game package in 15 years as negotiations get serious for the next billion-dollar set of media rights. The Walt Disney Co. could end up with two packages for ESPN and broadcast sister network ABC. https://t.co/kVVe8sUfht
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) August 21, 2020
… sources on both sides of the negotiating table say Disney is making a strong push to bring ABC back to the NFL TV lineup. If ESPN retains MNF, the games could also be simulcast or megacast on ABC. “Both Disney and the NFL want it to happen,” said a source.
As an added bonus, Disney’s ABC/ESPN could also break into the lucrative Super Bowl rotation currently split between CBS, NBC and Fox. Under its current deal, Disney only gets rights to one wild-card playoff telecast on ESPN and the Pro Bowl, which are now shown on both ABC and ESPN.
ESPN pays $1.9 billion annually and its MNF contract is up first after the 2021 season. The league’s deals with NBC ($950 million annually for “Sunday Night Football”), CBS ($1 billion for the Sunday afternoon AFC package) and FOX ($1.1 billion for the Sunday afternoon NFC package and another $650 million for “Thursday Night Football”) expire after the 2022 season.