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Why the NFL is ‘irritated’ with NBC’s NBA contract —and the potential ripple effect
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- Why the NFL is ‘irritated’ with NBC’s NBA contract —and the potential ripple effect
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The NFL is reportedly "irritated" with NBC's massive TV deal with the NBA.
Puck's John Ourand said Roger Goodell and Co. aren't thrilled with how much more the rival league is getting for its Sunday night product.
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"Executives at the NFL are irritated. [The NBA deal] irritated them," Ourand said on "The Main Event with Andrew Marchand" podcast this week .
"The idea that NBC is paying more for 'Sunday Night Basketball' than for 'Sunday Night Football.' These are people and personalities, and it makes the executives at the NFL crazy that that happens. So, could they come in and just start to turn the screw because of that NBA deal?"
A general view of an NBC peacock logo sign as seen at NBC Studios Headquarters located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, NY on June 4, 2025. Christopher Sadowski
NBA games returned to NBC this season as part of an 11-year media rights deal that will see the network pay $2.5 billion per season.
NBC is currently paying around $2 billion for its media package with the NFL, which includes "Sunday Night Football," despite having a much higher viewership than the NBA.
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The network also recently signed a roughly $600 million deal with MLB to become the home of "Sunday Night Baseball" and Wild Card playoff games for the next three seasons, in addition to its existing deals with college football, golf, the WNBA, the Olympics and Premier League Soccer.
With the NFL potential media rights opt-outs coming in 2029 and 2030, NBC could be forced to make some tough decisions – and write some big checks, Ourand said.
Roger Goodell and the NFL partner with NBC for "Sunday Night Football." IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"It shakes out with the networks paying a ton more money to the NFL. A ton more," said Ourand. "We've always talked about that line for the other leagues, who are the haves, who are the have-nots? That line is going to be much more defined once these rights come out, because all of a sudden, you have the Premier League that's coming to market with all of its games.
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"NBC is going to pay a lot more, and they're going to be paying for the NFL, they're paying for the NBA. Can they afford something that's really weekend morning programming in the Premier League? You have baseball that's coming up."
