CBS, NBC Splitting NFL Thursday Night Sked

Thursday Night Football will be returning to broadcast TV for the next two seasons with NBC and CBS splitting a 10-game package, the networks and the NFL announced today.

CBS was the sole broadcast outlet for an eight-game schedule this season and last.

The NFL’s own cable network will continue to simulcast the games as it has with CBS. In addition, the NFL Network will exclusively telecast each season eight additional games on Thursday, Saturday and “other games to be determined.”

The parties did not released terms. But published reports say the two networks are paying a combined $450 million to $500 million a year for the rights, up from the $300 million CBS was said to have paid for the eight games that it broadcast this past season.

CBS and NBC will produce their games with their lead broadcasters and production teams and assist with the production of the games on the NFL Network.

The NFL said it is in active discussions to sell the OTT streaming rights to Thursday Night Football. A deal announcement is expected in the near future.

“Our mission when we first put games on Thursday nights in 2006 was to work strategically to make Thursdays a night for NFL football in the mold of what Monday and Sunday nights mean to millions of fans across the country,” said Robert Kraft, chairman of the NFL’s Broadcast Committee.

“We’ve made great strides since that point, and growing the base of games with CBS, now with NBC, and soon with digital streaming will only help us solidify this night in the consciousness of NFL fans here and globally.”

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said the Thursday night games have been “extremely valuable” in promoting the network’s entire lineup and contributing its standing as the most-watched network.

“Broadcasting the first half of the Thursday Night Football schedule is a terrific way to jump start the 2016-2017 television season. We look forward to another great year of the NFL on CBS on both Thursdays and Sundays.”

NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke said Thursday nights are a “perfect complement” to NBC’s Sunday night package. “The NFL is a terrific partner, and we could not be more pleased about expanding our relationship.”

For the 16 games of the 2015 schedule, Thursday Night Football on CBS and NFL Network averaged a 7.9 household rating and 13 million viewers, up 59% and 61%, respectively, from 2013 when the games were solely on NFL Network.