FOX Sports is set to acquire two more NFL games to its schedule this season, CEO Lachlan Murdoch shared during the FOX Corp. investor call Monday morning.
What We Know: There were five games up for grabs during the NFL season. Early reports suggested that the games would be split between Netflix and YouTube. However, YouTube has since reportedly balked at the idea of splitting the package. During the call on Monday, Murdoch shared that FOX Sports has taken one game in week 10. That game is scheduled to be played in Munich, Germany. It will provide FOX with a Sunday tripleheader on Sunday, November 15th. The second game FOX Sports acquired is a Saturday game on December 19th.
What They Said: “(The NFL) has been a key partner with Fox for over 30 years … There is no tension, really, with the NFL … We’ve had no substantive discussions with the NFL (about a new TV deal).” -FOX Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch
What Remains Unclear: Which teams are playing in the two new broadcasts acquired by FOX Sports. The NFL schedule release is set for Thursday, May 14th. Additionally, financial terms for FOX’s purchase of the package were not made immediately available.
What It Means: Two of the five games up for grabs are taken off the board. After YouTube said “thanks, but no thanks” to splitting the package with Netflix, it is perhaps easy to see why. The other three broadcasts, which conceivably will go to the streaming giant, include games on the day before Thanksgiving, a second Black Friday game, and a Christmas Eve game. Those are all much more likely to provide larger audiences than a 9:30 AM ET game on a Sunday morning and a Saturday in the run-up to Christmas.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.