NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol said that the network
was "interested in holding on" to its NFL AFC package, "but
not at catastrophic rates" that were being negotiated,
according USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand. Ebersol said that
even without the NFL's coverage, the network will "still
have the largest block of sports programming." NBC has held
rights to the NFL for the past 33 years (USA TODAY, 1/14).
MORE FROM 30 ROCK: Ebersol, on the "MNF" bidding:
"'Monday Night' was a particular dream of ours. But the
N.F.L. knew there was a level we would not cross without
booking an enormous loss" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/14). More Ebersol:
"The word aggressive has now been replaced by the word
reckless. There was no way we were going to get into this.
We're not in the business of putting the livelihood of our
employees in jeopardy" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/14). CNN/
SI's Peter King reported that NBC "believes strongly that if
it had paid" $4B over eight years to keep the NFL, "it would
have lost" $1B ("CNN/SI," 1/13). In related news, Stephen
Battaglio reports that NBC "doesn't stand to give up
affiliates as a result of the AFC loss" as it has already
signed its affils to long-term deal (HOLLY. REPORTER, 1/14).
NFL NEW LENGTH PER- PREVIOUS DEAL
PACKAGE NET '98-2005 YEAR '94-97 NET % +/-
NFC FOX $4.40B $550M $1.58B FOX +39%
AFC CBS $4.00B $500M $868M NBC +130%
MONDAY ABC $4.40B $550M $920M ABC +139%
SUNDAY ESPN $4.80B $600M $1.02B ESPN/TNT +135%
TOTAL: $17.6B $2.2B $4.38B +101%
