NBC this week will take over "TNF" broadcasts at a "suddenly promising point in an NFL season that has seen viewership plummet," and with both the MLB postseason and election finished, NBC is "hoping to fare better than CBS and NFL Network did earlier this season," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. NBC begins its first year with the "TNF" package with Saints-Panthers, teams with "sub-.500 records that might not give the network a lift to start its five-game schedule." Flood: "We have very good games. But we all know the back half of the season can be a bit of a crapshoot. You’re not sure who’s going to be great and who’s not going to be great." Sandomir notes NBC's "TNF" schedule is a "bit different from CBS’s, which took a break during Week 4." But NBC "goes for six straight weeks because the Thanksgiving night game is part of its Sunday night package." Flood: “Our excitement is to have this run until the end of the season and into holiday shopping, which has a lot of advantages for our ad sales people" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/15).
GOTTA EARN IT: NBC analyst Rodney Harrison yesterday suggested the quality of teams in primetime is a driver of the NFL ratings problems. He said teams should “go back to earning your right to play on the national stage” rather than the full-league rotation for Thursday games. Harrison’s remarks came during a lunch hosted by NBC Sports in N.Y. to celebrate the launch of the net's “TNF” broadcasts. The meeting was otherwise marked by talk of the NFL’s strong Sunday ratings in Week 10. Flood, "It was a great sign to see that people are back to consuming games the way we like to see it. There’s still nothing like the NFL. It remains the premier product in sports.” During the lunch, NBC previewed some of its marketing for "TNF,", which includes shows like “The Blacklist” and “The Voice” creating promos for the games. NBC’s pregame show on Thursdays will be known as “Football Night in (the host city)” rather than “Football Night in America,” with studio hosts live on site and other creative elements to highlight the home city (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
