Chiefs Chair & CEO Clark Hunt yesterday acknowledged the possibility of a digital outlet like Google or Yahoo acquiring rights to broadcast NFL games is "certainly something that could happen in the near future." Appearing on CNBC's "Fast Money," Hunt noted the league this season "took a couple of steps to test broadcasting games from the digital standpoint," including Yahoo airing the Bills-Jaguars game from London. Hunt: "It's something that's very much in the future." The league is actively negotiating a digital package for its Thursday night package’s OTT rights, and a source said that companies like Amazon, Google and Apple have shown interest. As part of the recently announced "TNF" package, CBS and NBC will each air five games next season. In addition to providing fans more primetime games, Hunt said the Thursday night "certainly has also been beneficial from a financial standpoint." The two nets are paying $225M annually for the "TNF" games (“Fast Money,” CNBC, 2/3).
NBC PLEASED WITH NEW "TNF" DEAL: NBCU CEO Steve Burke said that he "isn’t concerned that his networks ... will lose the game of musical chairs as other distributors look to offer subscribers lower priced alternatives with fewer channels." He said that if there is top programming, then "your channels will stay in the bundle and it will be a good business for a long time.” DEADLINE.com's David Lieberman noted that is "one reason he’s pleased by the new deal giving NBC five Thursday Night Football games in 2016 and in 2017." Burke said football is "profitable for us now and will be profitable for us” with the additional games. He added NFL games are “getting more valuable all the time as the world fragments.” That makes the league the "most powerful programming on television" (DEADLINE.com, 2/3).
