(Reuters) -The National Football League could begin renegotiating its media rights deals as soon as 2026, four years ahead of the current agreement’s opt-out clause, CNBC reported on Wednesday.
The league needs agreement from its current media partners — Disney, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, Paramount, Amazon and Fox — to start discussions on any new deal, the report said, citing an exclusive interview with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The NFL, Disney, Comcast, Paramount, Amazon and Fox did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
For broadcasters, the accelerated NFL TV-rights renegotiations mean they will likely face higher costs, combined with greater pressure to justify the investment, but securing rights also ensures they remain central to one of the few live events that still draws massive audiences and ad dollars.
Sports are one of the few genres consistently driving live, simultaneous viewers on broadcast, which is highly attractive to advertisers seeking scale during marquee events such as the NFL and the NBA.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas and Shilpi Majumdar)
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