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[12/14/11 - 12:40 PM]
NBCUniversal's New Nine-Year "Sunday Night Football" Agreement Includes More Games, Three Super Bowls, Upgraded Playoff Package & Enhanced Flex Scheduling
Plus: NBC will annually broadcast a primetime game on Thanksgiving night beginning in 2012.

[via press release from NBC]

NBCUNIVERSAL'S NEW NINE-YEAR "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" AGREEMENT INCLUDES MORE GAMES, THREE SUPER BOWLS, UPGRADED PLAYOFF PACKAGE & ENHANCED FLEX SCHEDULING

Increased Digital Rights Annual Thanksgiving Night Broadcasts Begin on NBC in 2012

NEW YORK - December 14, 2011 - NBCUniversal today agreed to a new and extensive media rights agreement to extend its NFL rights package through the 2022 season. The new agreement includes many enhancements that broaden the exposure of NFL content on NBC, and across other NBCUniversal platforms.

"This is a great day for NBCUniversal and the NBC Sports Group. There is no more powerful programming on television than the NFL and no better program than Sunday Night Football. The long-term agreement announced today provides us with significant enhancements to our existing NFL package, ensures that we will continue our partnership with the NFL for many years, and adds tremendous value to the many assets of NBCUniversal. We could not be more pleased," said Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal.

"Sunday Night Football on NBC is the most-watched program on primetime television, and we're excited to continue our long-term partnership with the NFL," said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. "The new primetime Thanksgiving game starting in 2012, the upgraded playoff package and the three Super Bowls are all major enhancements to our new agreement. The additional digital and programming rights add tremendous value to the NBC Sports Group portfolio."

This new and extensive media rights agreement includes many enhancements vs. the previous agreement:

(Beginning with the new agreement in 2014 except where noted in bold)

· NBC will annually broadcast a primetime game on Thanksgiving night beginning in 2012;

· Upgraded playoff coverage, exchanging one of its current Wild Card games for a Divisional playoff game;

· In addition to the 2012 Super Bowl, NBC will broadcast the 2015, 2018 and 2021 Super Bowls;

· Enhanced flexible scheduling;

· Expanded digital rights, including "TV Everywhere" rights;

· Spanish language rights so that games could be shown on Telemundo, mun2 or with an SAP feed.

NBC will now broadcast 19 regular season games including 17 regular season Sunday Night Football games, each season's opening NFL Kickoff Thursday night primetime game and the new Thanksgiving night game, and two playoff games (one Wild Card game and one Divisional game). NBC's original Sunday Night Football agreement, which began in 2006, included 17 regular season games. It was increased to 18 in 2010.

Sunday Night Football, the most-watched primetime show of the fall television season for the second straight year, is preceded each week at 7 p.m. ET by the critically acclaimed Football Night in America, which provides comprehensive highlights and analysis of the day's events in the NFL, along with a preview of that night's Sunday Night Football contest.

The original six-year Sunday Night Football agreement between NBC Sports and the NFL started with the 2006 season and ran through the 2011 season. The current agreement, which was extended in 2009, expires after the 2013 season.

NBC & THE NFL: NBC's long history with the NFL dates back 70 years to 1939 when NBC became the first network to televise an NFL game - Philadelphia Eagles vs. Brooklyn Dodgers from Ebbets Field to the approximately 1,000 sets then in New York. NBC first broadcast the NFL Championship Game in 1955. In 1964, NBC signed a five-year contract to televise the AFL. NBC was awarded the AFC package in 1970, an association that would continue through the 1997-98 season. NBC televised the first Super Bowl in 1967 and the historic New York Jets' upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969.

In February 2009, NBC broadcast Super Bowl XLIII, which was, at the time, the most-watched program in television history, and on February 5, 2012, NBC will broadcast Super Bowl XLVI from Indianapolis with extensive coverage all week on NBC Sports Network (to be re-named from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012). NBC has built Sunday Night Football into the most-watched primetime show on television.





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· FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA (NBC)
· SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC)





[05/11/26 - 11:42 AM]
ESPN Presents "Last Train to North America," A New Documentary Series Following North America's Road to the 2026 World Cup
Hosted by ESPN's renowned journalist, Martin Ainstein, the nine-episode series follows a unique rail journey across the United States, Mexico and Canada as the three nations prepare to jointly host the biggest sporting event of the summer.

[05/11/26 - 11:37 AM]
Great American Media Renews Beloved Original Series "When Hope Calls: Brookfield" for Season Four
Set in the picturesque town of Brookfield, the series continues to follow the evolving lives of its residents as they navigate love, hardship, and new beginnings together.

[05/11/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Little House on the Prairie" - Official Teaser #2 - Netflix
Independence isn't just a way of life, it's a place to come together.

[05/11/26 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Renews Global Hit Series "Reacher" for Fifth Season Ahead of Season Four Premiere
The third season reached 54.6 million viewers globally on Prime Video in its first 19 days and stands as the most-watched season on the service since "Fallout" season one over the same timeframe.

[05/11/26 - 10:53 AM]
Viaplay Announces June Slate - Greek Noir Thriller, Acclaimed Nordic Series & Films
New U.S. debuts include "Save Me" and "Black Sands."

[05/11/26 - 10:31 AM]
Wellness Gets Wild in Amazon MGM Studios' New Reality Series "Reality Retreat," Bringing Together Some of TV's Most Iconic Women
The series will premiere in 2027, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[05/11/26 - 10:11 AM]
OWN Greenlights Season 12 of Its Hit NAACP Image Award-Nominated Series "Love & Marriage: Huntsville," Expanding Its Saturday Night Powerhouse with a 30-Episode Order
The new season will roll out across 2026 and 2027 as part of OWN's signature Saturday night lineup of must-watch unscripted programming.

[05/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Calabasas Confidential" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Fresh out of college, a tight-knit group of friends, exes and rivals returns to hillside SoCal luxury and unfinished drama in this opulent reality series.

[05/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
Investigation Discovery Sets June Return for a New Season of "People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer"
The new season will feature six gripping episodes unpacking the real-life, harrowing accounts of survivors who crossed paths with serial killers and lived to share their story.

[05/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces Aaron Paul Joins the Cast of "Fallout" for Season Three
Also announced, Annabel O'Hagan and Dave Register have been upped to series regulars for season three, alongside Frances Turner who was upped to series regular in season two and remains a regular.

[05/11/26 - 10:00 AM]
Keiana Martin Joins ESPN as "SportsCenter" Anchor
Most recently, she served as an on-air host and reporter for CBS Sports, appearing across CBS Sports HQ, "Inside College Basketball" and "Inside College Football" on CBS Sports Network, while also contributing to college football, college basketball and WNBA coverage as a sideline reporter.

[05/11/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Sweet Magnolias" Season 5 - Official Trailer - Netflix
With wedding bells on the horizon, the Magnolias chase a shared dream, explore the world beyond Serenity, and lift each other up amid a summer of change.

[05/11/26 - 09:30 AM]
NBC Sports Acquires Extra NFL Week 17 Regular-Season Game, to Be Played Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, at 4:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
With the two Saturday games and "Sunday Night Football" on January 3, NBCUniversal will be home to three Week 17 games as playoff races and positioning become more heated.

[05/11/26 - 09:00 AM]
Versant Expands Programming Slate with New and Returning Scripted, Unscripted, and Live Sports and Events for 2026-27 Season
Newly announced premieres include the return of "The Ark" on July 29 and the debut of "Anna Pigeon" on August 7.

[05/11/26 - 08:32 AM]
Bravo Unveils New Series, "Vanderpump Rules: Lisa Las Vegas" and "Secrets, Lies, Texas Wives," Alongside Several Fan-Favorite Renewals
Plus: the network releases first looks at the new seasons of "Below Deck Mediterranean," "The McBee Dynasty" and "Next Gen NYC."