NFL expected to sell Thursday Night Football TV rights for $600 million a year

By Stephanie Topacio Long Published November 23, 2015

TV networks seem to be salivating, because the TV rights to the NFL’s Thursday Night Football are coming up for sale. According to THR, the league is likely to sell the package as a multiyear deal, rather than the one-year deals it has had for the past two season with CBS. Experts predict that such an agreement could go for $600 million a year.

Thanks to the interest of multiple networks, the prospective price tag has skyrocketed. By comparison, CBS Sports’ deals for the past two season have been a bargain. (The network paid $275 million for the eight Thursday games last season and $300 million for the current season’s.) Landing a new contract, however, will be tough, seeing as Fox, NBC, and Turner are all expected to be in contention.

Recommended Videos

Clearly, networks aren’t fazed by the fact that TNF has a reputation for being the worst night of pro football of the week — to the point that Sports Illustrated recently dedicated an article to how to improve the event. Currently, teams have fewer days to prepare for their matchups, leading to what SI described as “choppy offense, game-changing mental errors, and a wave of criticism from fans watching at home.”

Yet fans are still watching, whatever they may think of the quality of play. Last season, TNF averaged over 12 million viewers a game over its simultaneous telecasts on CBS Sports and NFL Network. The numbers are clearly enticing for networks. THR reports that NBC, for example, is making a TNF deal a “top priority.” The network already pays around $1 billion a year for Sunday Night Football, according to Business Insider.

With the NFL’s other deals for daytime Sunday games, SNF, and Monday Night Football currently running through 2021 and 2022, it seems logical for the TNF deal to have a similar time frame. Dealmaking will begin in January, so we’ll have to wait exactly how this plays out.

Stephanie Topacio Long

Contributor

Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…

Topics

Entertainment

Don’t let these 3 hidden March 2025 streaming TV shows fly under your radar

A group of well-dressed people crowd by a doorway, looking shocked in The Residence.

Every month, there's always one, maybe two, new shows that get all the attention. Sometimes, it's a popular show returning with a new season. This March, many less high-profile shows are flying under the radar. You might have heard of these shows but weren't quite sure what they were about or even if they're worth watching.
We suspect that you'll be pleasantly surprised if you give any of these shows your time. Check out an episode or two, and it will likely lead to binging the whole thing. Two of the three series release all season one episodes at once, while the third will tease you with the first two episodes this month. What are these three hidden March 2025 streaming TV shows you shouldn't let fly under your radar? Have a look.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and best shows on Disney+.
Deli Boys (March 6)
Deli Boys | Official Trailer | Hulu
Already receiving rave reviews, Deli Boys is a hilarious comedy about two Pakistani American brothers, Mir (Asif Ali) and Raj (Saagar Shaikh), who discover that their father was much more than a convenience store owner. When he suddenly passes, the brothers discover that dear Dad was actually embroiled in a life of crime.
If they don’t want to lose everything their family has worked for, they need to take over as the new crime bosses. But this is not a life they know anything about. As one of the most anticipated Hulu shows of 2025, Deli Boys’ first season delights thanks to its clever one-liners, talented cast, and bizarre storylines.
Stream Deli Boys on Hulu.
The Residence (March 20)
The Residence | Official Trailer | Netflix
The best way to describe The Residence is that it's like Knives Out in the White House with a gender-swapped Benoit Blanc-like character. The lead is Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), an equally eccentric yet brilliant detective who consults with the local police. When the White House chief usher, A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito in a role that was originally supposed to be played by the late Andre Braugher), winds up dead, she’s called in to investigate. A state dinner is going on downstairs with officials from Australia, and Cupp orders that no one leave until she questions all 140+ people present.
The Residence is plenty of fun, mixing the usual whodunit formula with Shonda Rhimes' unique creative flair that will keep you guessing from one episode, even a moment, to the next. Aduba is perfect as Cupp, who combines an oddball personality — including repeatedly birdwatching in the middle of a murder case — with a subtle sarcasm. Through it all, however, she throws down astute observations that teach everyone she knows exactly what she’s doing, even if it doesn’t look like it. If you love the whodunit genre, The Residence won’t disappoint.

Stream The Residence on Netflix.
The Studio (March 26)
The Studio — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
One of Apple TV+’s quieter new show releases is The Studio, which has gotten overwhelmingly positive reception in early reviews. Seth Rogen created and stars in this comedy as Matt Remick, a man who longs to run a Hollywood studio. When he finally realizes this dream, however, the reality of the complicated balancing act of managing budgets, changing economic and societal times, corporate demands, and eccentric actors sinks in.
The Studio has an incredible cast that includes Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Kathryn Hahn. There's also a rotating selection of guest stars playing exaggerated versions of themselves to add to the Hollywood feel, from Zac Efron to Martin Scorsese. Early reviews already give The Studio a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with Slant Magazine’s Ross McIndoe singling out the dark and “more than a little pointed” comedy as the highlight.

Entertainment

3 PBS shows you should watch in March 2025

three pbs shows you should watch in march 2025 call the midwife season 14 tv hero 2

PBS may not be able to boast a lineup of original shows like Netflix and the other streamers, but it's been America's gateway for British dramas for decades. Granted, some of these shows will show up on the streamers as well. The key difference is that PBS won't charge you to watch them, and you can even stream them online if you don't want to support your local station.

This month's picks include two returning British dramas, one of which had almost a full decade between seasons. Our other pick is a returning murder mystery show from Sweden, which proves just how universally popular that genre has turned out to be.

Entertainment

If you have to watch one Peacock movie this March 2025, stream this one

Saoirse Ronana in Brooklyn

If you're looking for stuff to watch on Peacock, you're probably going to have to sort through a lot of stuff. That's not to say that there aren't things worth watching on Peacock, just that finding them can feel more difficult than it should.
We've done the hard work for you and found a perfect movie for your March watchlist. Brooklyn tells the story of a young woman who immigrates from Ireland to America in the 1950s and finds herself torn between her old life and the new one she's built. Here are three reasons you should check it out:
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, and best shows on Disney+.

It features a star-making performance from Saoirse Ronan
Brooklyn Official International Trailer #1 (2015) - Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson Movie HD