Big (really big) bucks inflate NFL TV deal

0 Comments | USA TODAY, April, 2005 | by Michael Hiestand

When it comes to the NFL and TV, don't bother asking how high is up.

The NFL's new deals with NBC and ESPN, which will take effect in 2006, cap a round of new TV deals with Fox, CBS and DirecTV that will boost NFL TV revenues by more than 50% to an average of $3.735 billion a year. That's more than the total national TV money now being spent annually on the NBA, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, PGA Tour golf, NCAA tournament basketball and last year's Summer Olympics -- combined .

And there might be more to come. The NFL is still shopping the idea of an eight-game, late-season package, played on Thursday and/or Saturday nights -- or putting such games on its NFL Network.

But while the NFL is rolling in its cash, the NBC and ESPN deals raise new issues:

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