Welcome To The Canton: NBC Ready To Kick Off NFL Coverage

NBC Kicks Off NFL Coverage This Weekend With Hall Of Fame Game

NBC begins anew its NFL coverage with the Eagles-Raiders Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, Sunday night, and USA TODAY’s Michael Hiestand writes in a front-page Cover Story, “In new contracts starting this season the, league will get a total annual average of $3.75[B] -– a cumulative 53% jump in NFL TV revenue.” While the NFL’s TV partners so far “haven’t announced any razzle-dazzle production technology,” NFL Senior VP/Media Operations Howard Katz “hints at a test that might really break new ground.” In the preseason, ESPN “will be allowed to have a camera operator run onto the field for close-ups, but only with plenty of restrictions to keep from interfering with play.” If the league “deems the test acceptable, other networks will be allowed to bring their cameras on-field this season.” Fox “will test the idea of letting consumers send in uploaded digital photos of their tailgate parties — with some of those photos going on TV.” But Fox is “cutting back on its glitz” during NFL games. Fox Senior VP Gary Hartley said that the net surveyed viewers and found that its “many sound effects, blinking lights and animated graphics were seen as ‘pointless and annoying’” (USA TODAY, 8/4).

BEST IN SHOW: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir noted NBC –-which has the benefit of flexible scheduling in the second half of the season -– from Weeks 1-9, has teams with a combined ‘05 regular-season record of 192-96. The teams on ABC’s ‘04 and ‘05 “MNF” schedules posted identical 181-107 records in the preceding seasons. The ten “MNF” games ESPN will carry through Week 9 feature teams with a combined ‘05 record of 167-153. ESPN’s schedule over the first nine weeks includes six games with one team that had a losing record last season. NBC has only one, Raiders-Broncos in Week 7. Sandomir: “Still, ESPN has a better overall schedule than it did last year” (N.Y. TIMES, 8/1). NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Chair Dick Ebersol said NBC’s NFL announce team of Al Michaels and John Madden last year on ABC “were on their way to having their best year, then suddenly their last four games of the season, they didn’t have a single game that matched up teams with winning records” (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/4).

HISTORY LESSON: USA TODAY’s Hiestand looks at the history between Michaels, Madden and NBC studio host Bob Costas. Costas, on CBS in ’76, “got the chance to work his first NFL TV game because Michaels, six days before the season, left CBS for ABC.” Costas, then 24 years old, called 49ers-Packers for $500. Costas in ’79 was Madden’s partner in the latter’s first NFL TV game (USA TODAY, 8/4).

ADDING SOME COLOR: NBC’s “Today” show aired a report on Madden and said Melissa Stark said his “popularity extends far beyond the football field. As a celebrity spokesman, he influences where people shop, what cell phone service they use, and where they eat. Plus, the best-selling sports video game of all time has his name on it” (NBC, 8/4).