The NFL is "flexing its muscles in negotiations with TV networks over the renewal of Thursday night telecasts, not only seeking a sizable rights fees increase but also pushing multiple broadcasters to split the package and agree to potentially onerous scheduling conditions," according to Flint & Futterman of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The league now "wants to divide the contests between two broadcast networks as well as the NFL Network." A source said that CBS and NBC "are in the lead" to share "TNF." Under the scenario being discussed, CBS and NBC "would each carry five Thursday games," while NFL Network "would carry the remaining Thursday night matchups exclusively." A source said that the price tag for the 10 games "may be as much" as $600M. Sources indicated that the NFL is "attempting to throw its weight around by insisting on flexibility with how it divvies up the games between CBS and NBC." Rather than have one net "carry five games in a row followed by the other network, the NFL’s proposal has been to bounce the games back and forth between the two networks and the NFL Network." That approach "would give the league more flexibility in scheduling high-profile games on its own network." Those scenarios "aren't being embraced by the networks because it would be difficult to promote a haphazard Thursday football schedule, as well as disrupt their ability to consistently schedule" other fall programming (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/22).
