NBCUniversal today agreed to a new and extensive media rights agreement to extend its NFL rights package through the 2022 season. The new agreement includes many enhancements that broaden the exposure of NFL content on NBC, and across other NBCUniversal platforms. This new and extensive media rights agreement includes many enhancements vs. the previous agreement: (Beginning with the new agreement in 2014 except where noted)
- NBC will annually broadcast a primetime game on Thanksgiving night beginning in 2012;
- Upgraded playoff coverage, exchanging one of its current Wild Card games for a Divisional playoff game;
- In addition to the 2012 Super Bowl, NBC will broadcast the 2015, 2018 and 2021 Super Bowls;
- Enhanced flexible scheduling;
- Expanded digital rights, including “TV Everywhere” rights;
- Spanish language rights so that games could be shown on Telemundo, mun2 or with an SAP feed.
NBC will now broadcast 19 regular season games including 17 regular season Sunday Night Football games, each season’s opening NFL Kickoff Thursday night primetime game and the new Thanksgiving night game, and two playoff games (one Wild Card game and one Divisional game). NBC’s original Sunday Night Football agreement, which began in 2006, included 17 regular season games. It was increased to 18 in 2010. Sunday Night Football, the most-watched primetime show of the fall television season for the second straight year, is preceded each week at 7 p.m. ET by the critically acclaimed Football Night in America, which provides comprehensive highlights and analysis of the day’s events in the NFL, along with a preview of that night’s Sunday Night Football contest. The original six-year Sunday Night Football agreement between NBC Sports and the NFL started with the 2006 season and ran through the 2011 season. The current agreement, which was extended in 2009, expires after the 2013 season.