NBC Signs Five-Year Extension Of Notre Dame Football TV Rights

NBC To Televise Eight Notre Dame Games Annually Under TV Rights Extension

MORE DETAILS: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand reports NBC's rights fee, which under the previous deal "had been about $9[M] annually, will increase because the new deal has more games" (USA TODAY, 6/20). Ebersol said that the contract is a "flat fee and not based on ratings" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/20). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes NBC will "benefit from selling the advertising time for the off-site games at potentially higher prices because they will be the only prime-time home games played" by ND (N.Y. TIMES, 6/20).

NAME BRAND: In South Bend, Eric Hansen writes the "eight-game inventory and the prime time games were significant bargaining chips for [ND], especially considering it will not budge on playing a regular home game at night." NBC last season averaged a 1.9 rating for its ND broadcasts, "by far the worst since the contract went into effect." But Ebersol said, "The Notre Dame brand is a brand that's been sustainable for decade after decade. When you look at great brands, you don't necessarily look at year to year" (SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE, 6/20). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley writes the renewal is "remarkable on one level because Irish football hasn't been mistaken for national championship-level football for years." But the "brand remains sturdy even though the football is not" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/20). Ebersol added that ND "consistently ranking among the top 10 teams in the nation would more than satisfy him" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/20).

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