Monday Night Football moves to ESPN from ABC (WSJ)

[RagingInMiami]

After 36 seasons on broadcast television, "Monday Night Football" will leave Walt Disney Co.'s ABC for its sister cable network ESPN in 2006, people familiar with the matter said. Meanwhile, General Electric Co.'s NBC will return to broadcasting National Football League games after a nine-year absence, taking over Sunday night games from ESPN, according to a person familiar with that deal.

Both deals could be announced as early as Monday. While "Monday Night Football" is a solid ratings performer for ABC, it has been losing as much as $150 million annually for the network. ABC pays the NFL $550 million a year for "Monday Night Football."

ESPN's new six-year deal is expected to be much more expensive, costing about $1.1 billion a year, people familiar with the matter said. Unlike ABC, which has only an advertising revenue stream, ESPN gets both advertising dollars and fees from the cable and satellite operators that distribute the network. Having big sports events allows the network to charge more to the distributors that carry the channel.

NBC will pay $600 million a year over six years for Sunday night games, the person familiar with the deal said. NBC also will receive broadcast rights to the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2012 and two first-round playoff games, held on Saturday nights, this person said. In addition, NBC will show the NFL's annual season-opening game, which is played on Thursday nights.


I think you need a WSJ subsription to access link.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111385278802509795,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us

[Huckebein the Raven]

1. I'm going to miss ESPN's Sunday night games

I liked the crew that called those games.

[MADem]

3. Sunday games are off to NBC

Don't know who will be calling them, though.

[rinsd]

10. Really?

I always thought Theismann and McGuire were the worst and the've only gotten worse over the years.

Neither understands that the 22 guys on the field are what we are watching...not them.

[TSIAS]

11. They still might call the games

I don't think anyone knows if Michaels and Madden will make the move to NBC or some other network.

[In Truth We Trust]

2. Let's hope they drop freeper Al Michaels-douchebag

[OrlandoGator]

4. I'll never forget his "flip-flop" barb...

Colts/Patriots game, 9/9/04:

MICHAELS: "What a wacky series."

MADDEN: "This is what you call a flip-flop."

MICHAELS: "Well, you're in the right state for that."

[madinmaryland]

9. I remember that and it still pisses me off.

What an asshole.

[kaitykaity]

5. Seems kinda dumb to move a Top 10 show off to

the cable hinterlands.

Oh well.

[HuckleB]

6. Indeed.

I don't get it.

[fryguy]

7. all about the Benjamins

ESPN is going to be paying serious dollars to the NFL for the games - and besides, I'm willing to bet most people who watch MNF now have cable and ESPN also so it will likely remain a top 10 show regardless of where it goes, unless it were to move to pay-per-view or a premium cable channel.

[Dinger]

8. Wonder How Long TIll The Whole NFL Season Is On Cable?

[northzax]

13. The thing about MNF

is that is had an incredibly diverse audience, men, women, black, white. It will lose that, many fewer women will watch on ESPN, I would bet on it. their ratings will be half. For instance, I get together with a group of people, about ten-15 of us, male and female, combined annual income for the 15 of us, about a million dollars (well, two of us are grad students) and, since none of us pay for television, we won't watch. People will no longer stumble on to MNF and watch. my girlfriend, no football person, will stumble onto MNF, see the Packers, and watch. it's a brand builder for the NFL, as well as a marketing tool.

but I'm sure the ratings will stay high, after all, ESPN has managed to draw a 6.1 on sunday night, so they'll probably pull that on Monday. Great deal for them, but not the 11 that MNF drew.

Mark my words, this ia bad for the NFL.

[evlbstrd]

12. Bad news.

I don't have or want cable or satellite teevee.
Guess I'll be spending a lot of the season in bars. Also expensive. Time for a cost/benefit analysis.
Greedy bastards.