The network and the league are working out an agreement on the broadcast package, Bloomberg reported. SBD reported Fox bid more than the $45 million per game CBS and NBC paid the league to air 10 games in 2017. Previous reports said Fox had outbid both networks in this year’s negotiations.
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SBD also reported that Fox would not use its top announcing team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on Thursday broadcasts.
Fox would be expanding its NFL inventory at a time when the league is experiencing a significant decrease in viewership. SN’s Michael McCarthy noted ratings for NFL regular-season games fell by 9.7 percent this season.
Despite those numbers, NFL games remain highly attractive to networks. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” was the top-rated prime-time program last year, according to Nielsen, although it, too, suffered a ratings decline; and 37 of the 50 most-watched programs in 2017 were NFL games, per the Los Angeles Times.
