The NFL, the most popular television programming in America, is set to leverage its status in 2029, the year it can opt out of its current media rights agreements with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC. Although these deals run through the 2033 season, the NFL has the option to exit after 2029.
Reports from the NFL’s annual meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, suggest it is nearly certain the league will exercise this option. As per Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports, multiple sources indicate the NFL is a “virtual lock” to opt out of its contracts, which isn’t surprising. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has previously referred to the league’s 2029 opt-out as “incredibly valuable,” given the league believes its current rights agreements are undervalued.
Goodell and the league are right in this assessment. Reviewing the latest rights agreements signed by the NBA, a league with far less viewership appeal than the NFL, it’s striking to see networks like NBC paying more for NBA games than for its Sunday Night Football package. In an era where massive viewership events are rare, the NFL positions itself as the most valuable programming on television.
“All that data is positive for the value of sports media in general, and for the NFL specifically,” said NFL chief media officer Brian Rolapp, commenting on data supporting the increasing value of sports rights. “As media fragments, there are very few programming options that aggregate large audiences. Sports are at the top there, and the NFL is at the top of that.” February’s Super Bowl delivered a record audience for the NFL, showing no signs of a slowdown.
The year 2029 is poised to be a pivotal moment for the future of sports media and traditional media companies overall. For networks like Fox and CBS, NFL programming is essential to their business model. Without it, these legacy companies would lose nearly all leverage to demand high carriage and retransmission fees from distributors.
As tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Google continue to invade the live sports rights market with deeper pockets than traditional media companies, retaining the NFL in 2029 will be vital for some. This situation is what gives the NFL confidence in its ability to maximize value from its current or future media partners when it opts out.
