NBCUniversal and NFL Reach 11-year Extension & Expansion for Sunday Night Football, Primetime TV’s #1 Show

Rhea-AI Summary

NBCUniversal and the NFL have signed an 11-year extension for NBC Sports to continue airing Sunday Night Football, maintaining its status as primetime's No. 1 show for a decade. The agreement, beginning with the 2023 season, allows NBC and Peacock to stream all SNF games and will include broadcasting four of the next 13 Super Bowls. NBC will also air playoff games and expand its offerings with a virtual NFL channel on Peacock. This long-term deal can be terminated by the NFL on a one-time basis after seven years.

Positive

• NBCUniversal retains exclusive rights to Sunday Night Football through 2033.
• The deal includes broadcasting four Super Bowls, enhancing viewership opportunities.
• Peacock streaming will broaden audience reach for NBC NFL games.
• NBC continues to lead primetime television with SNF's viewership dominance.

Negative

• None.

NBCUniversal and the NFL announced today an 11-year extension and expansion for NBC Sports to continue as the home of Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s No. 1 show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years.

With the new agreement, which begins with the 2023 NFL season, NBC and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, will present Sunday Night Football through 2033 – a span of 28 seasons for NBC as the home of the NFL’s premier primetime package (since its 2006 debut). In addition, beginning with the upcoming 2021 season, Peacock will stream all NBC Sunday Night Football games and the Football Night in America studio show. Peacock will also produce a new exclusive, expanded postgame show following SNF each week.

NBC Sports, which produced the first-ever NFL broadcast on Oct. 22, 1939 (Philadelphia Eagles-Brooklyn Dodgers from Ebbets Field), will present four of the next 13 Super Bowls, including three Super Bowls as part of the new agreement. Home of the upcoming Super Bowl LVI from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in February 2022, NBC and Peacock will broadcast and stream Super Bowls in February 2026, February 2030, and February 2034. NBC Sports’ presentation of Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015 is the most-watched show in U.S. television history (114.4 million viewers on NBC).

In each of the next 13 seasons, NBC will broadcast a Divisional Playoff game. In addition, NBC will televise two Wild Card playoff games during the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026, and 2031 seasons, with a single Wild Card telecast in all other seasons. In each of the next seven seasons, NBC will broadcast a Sunday primetime Wild Card game. All NBC NFL postseason games will stream live on Peacock.

Peacock will also serve as the exclusive national home of six NFL regular-season games – one each year from 2023-28 (giving NBC Sports an additional regular-season game in those seasons) – and will launch a virtual NFL channel, highlighting classic games, as well as NFL Films’ series, library, and archival content, which will all also be available on demand. NBC Sports will have the option to incorporate enhanced and interactive features in game presentations to be streamed live on NBC digital platforms, including Peacock.

“We are excited to expand upon our relationship with the NFL, which is the most powerful content in sports and entertainment,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “Sunday Night Football has been television’s most-watched primetime show for a decade, and we look forward to continuing our best-in-class presentation of SNF, Super Bowls, and playoff games for many years to come, while also broadening our audience with Peacock becoming the live streaming home for all NBC NFL games.”

“Comcast and the NBC family have been outstanding partners for us and we are excited to continue that relationship long into the future,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Sunday Night Football is firmly established as the No. 1 show in primetime television, and we are looking forward to working with NBC and Peacock to continue to bring the NFL to more fans in more ways than ever before.”

NBC Sports will continue its tradition of opening each season with the NFL Kickoff Game, as the first regular-season game in the Sunday Night Football package, which also includes the Thanksgiving night primetime game. The NFL’s flexible scheduling for SNF, which was instituted in 2006, will begin in Week 5 each season.

Each NFL Sunday on NBC will once again begin with Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports in every year since its 2006 debut.

Telemundo Deportes, the U.S. destination for the biggest global sporting events in Spanish-language, will present all NBC NFL games on television in Spanish beginning in 2023, also available to be live streamed on Peacock.

This long-term agreement can be terminated on a one-time basis by the NFL after seven years.

In January, NBC concluded its 15^th season of Sunday Night Football, topping all primetime television series in the fall and once again pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950
10 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21; on pace)
6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)
5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90
5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)
4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210318006039/en/

FAQ

What is the duration of NBCUniversal's new NFL agreement?

NBCUniversal's new agreement with the NFL is an 11-year extension beginning with the 2023 season.

How many Super Bowls will NBC broadcast under the new agreement?

NBC will broadcast four of the next 13 Super Bowls as part of the new agreement.

What new features will Peacock offer under the NFL agreement?

Peacock will serve as the exclusive home for six NFL regular-season games and include a virtual NFL channel.

Can the NFL terminate the NBC agreement?

Yes, the NFL can terminate the agreement on a one-time basis after seven years.

How has <i>Sunday Night Football</i> performed in terms of viewership?

Sunday Night Football has ranked as primetime's No. 1 show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years.