Media
NFL preseason: About the deals
2014 primary NFL team preseason rights holders by affiliation
■ CBS stations 9 teams
■ NBC stations 8 teams
■ ABC stations 6 teams
■ Fox stations 4 teams
■ Other 5 teams
■ WHAT’S NEW: In February, the Atlanta Falcons announced WUPA (CW) as their new local TV partner, replacing WXIA (NBC). In March, WJXT (independent) replaced WTEV (CBS) as the official TV station of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Each team had been with its previous rights holder for more than a decade.
Earlier this month, the Carolina Panthers signed a multiyear agreement with Time Warner Cable, allowing the media company to become the team’s exclusive cable provider. Carolina’s preseason games will be simulcast in their Charlotte home market with current rights holder WCCB (CW). WCCB’s deal expires after the 2015 season.
■ WHAT’S OLD: On the other side of the tenure continuum, the Miami Dolphins have been on WFOR (CBS) since 1983, and WKRC (CBS) in Cincinnati has been Bengals’ local partner since 1988.
In March 2013, the San Francisco 49ers and KPIX (CBS) announced a new agreement that includes a 10-year extension of the Niners’ preseason game broadcast rights through the 2023 season. That team-station partnership dates to the late-1970s, making it the oldest such continuous preseason relationship in the league.
■ WHAT’S NEXT: The Philadelphia Eagles’ decade-long relationship with WPVI (ABC) expires after this season. The team’s preseason games over the past four years have averaged 395,000 viewers locally, trailing only the Bears and Giants.
The Houston Texans and KTRK (ABC), who have been together since the team’s inaugural season in 2002, will see their current five-year deal end this year. The Texans’ average of 327,000 viewers per preseason game over the past four years ranks sixth leaguewide.
In St. Louis, the Rams’ two-year deal with KTVI (Fox) ends this year. That partnership dates to 2009. And in Minnesota, the Vikings are in a year-to-year deal with KARE (NBC). That station has aired Vikings preseason games since 2010.
At least six teams have rights deals signed through 2017 or later.
Resource Guide LIVE research associate David Wood contributed to this report.
