New Agreement Makes ESPN the Pay TV Home of the NFL and
Adds Additional Games Through the 2016 Season
The National Football League and ESPN have reached an agreement that establishes the multimedia sports media company as the only pay TV broadcast partner in Brazil through the 2016 season. The new agreement provides ESPN with rights to televise a game in every available broadcast time*, including:
- Thursday Night Football games
- Sunday 1 p.m. games
- Sunday 4 p.m. games
- Sunday Night Football games, including special Thursday season opener
- Monday Night Football games
- three Thanksgiving Day games
- AFC and NFC Wildcard Playoff games
- AFC and NFC Divisional Playoff games
- AFC and NFC Championship games
- Pro Bowl
- Super Bowl
*All times Eastern
ESPN also has rights to air a third Sunday afternoon game, in either the 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. ET scheduled broadcast windows. This means that during the upcoming 2014 season, ESPN will air up to six games per week, plus the playoff games, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIX. All licensed games can only be seen on ESPN.
ESPN will continue to stream its games online and via mobile devices as live linear simulcasts on WatchESPN, ESPN Brazil’s live and on demand authenticated multiscreen, broadband service. ESPN has also secured additional digital highlight rights available for Internet and mobile on ESPN.com.br. Rights also include Compactos, a new one-hour cut-down show covering 60 games per season.
“We are pleased to share the news of the extended agreement with the NFL,” said Tim Bunnell, senior vice president, production, programming, marketing and advertising sales, ESPN International. “With rights to at least one game in every broadcast window, ESPN will be positioned as one of the top destinations of NFL content for Brazilian fans.”
“The NFL is one of our marquee properties,” said Carlos Maluf, director of programming, ESPN Brazil. “We are pleased with the extension of our NFL broadcast rights as the league is a top priority for us in the market.”
During the 2013 NFL regular season, while greatly expanding its NFL coverage in Brazil, ESPN also grew its ratings by 29% from the 2012 season. During NFL time blocks (9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday and Thursday, and 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday) ESPN placed first in cable TV sports networks in Brazil among men 18-24 on thirty individual days.
ESPN’s audience for the live telecast of Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2 led all pay TV networks. Viewers also spent more time than ever before watching the 2014 event on ESPN (an average of 55% more from 2013).
Online ESPN provides fans with rules, regulations, statistics and player information at www.espn.com.br/infografico/guiafutebolamericano.
In addition to game coverage, ESPN’s studio shows cover the latest happenings in American sports leagues – including the NFL – on The Book is on the Table, a weekly studio show airing Friday night hosted by Everaldo Marques with analysts Paulo Antunes and André Kfouri and on SportsCenter. The 2014 NFL regular season starts Thursday, September 4.
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