In the world of American football, Sunday morning football has become a permanent fixture that continues to gain momentum. Critics may argue against it, but the reality is that it’s here to stay and will only continue to grow.
One major driving force behind the expansion of Sunday morning football is the potential for increased revenue for the NFL. Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com points out that the league’s plan to play 16 international games annually could open up a new rights package, with a major network or streaming platform stepping in to televise the games in exchange for a lucrative deal.
While some may say that this is only a possibility, it seems almost certain that the NFL will move forward with this plan. The league stands to profit significantly from selling off these rights, particularly as it grapples with the future of NFL Network.
NFL media guru Brian Rolapp may have downplayed the idea during a recent meeting in Atlanta, but signs point to the fact that this is a direction the league is likely to take. Rolapp stated, “That’s really all to be determined. But there’s clearly been a focus on international, how we grow the game there, grow our commercial operations, grow the fan base. That certainly has a lot to do with how we do our game packages, both here and abroad. But we haven’t made any decisions yet.”
While decisions have not been finalized, it’s almost certain that the NFL will seize the opportunity to expand its reach and maximize profits through a new slate of international games. In fact, the league could potentially see even greater financial gains by discontinuing NFL Network, shifting its content to other platforms like NFL+, and selling a lucrative 16-game international package.
As the NFL continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of sports media, it’s clear that Sunday morning football is not just a passing trend – it’s a lucrative opportunity that the league is poised to capitalize on in the near future.
