NFL Downplays Reports Of Imminent Renewal With DirecTV

The NFL is pushing back on reports that the league is close to renewing its DirecTV deal for NFL Sunday Ticket. The NFL says the two longtime partners still are negotiating, but have not agreed to the framework of any deal. "We do not have an agreement. Any speculation or reports to the contrary are not accurate," said NFL Media Group VP/Communications Alex Riethmiller (John Ourand, Staff Writer).

The reports had cited sources as saying that the NFL and DirecTV are in "advanced discussions to renew" the Sunday Ticket package in a multiyear deal. The satellite company has held the league's exclusive out-of-market package, estimated to be worth $1B annually, for the past 20 years. The current contract, worth a total of $4B, expires at the end of '14 (VARIETY.com, 12/12).