Paramount merges with Skydance, meaning CBS changes ownership.
That apparently means the NFL could reopen its current deal with CBS.
The commissioner did not rule that out on Thursday.
In an interview with CNBC, Goodell was asked about the possibility that a change in ownership at CBS would allow the NFL to renegotiate the CBS contract.
“Do you plan on doing that?” Goodell was asked. “What do you expect to happen?”
“Well, listen, CBS has been a great partner to us since 1956, I think,” Goodel said. “They’ve been outstanding, right up until the Super Bowl last year, when we had record ratings at the Super Bowl, over 200 million people watching. So they’ve been a great partner.
“We’ll obviously be paying close attention to the process. We know Skydance. We’re partners with Skydance. They’ve done a fantastic job with our relationship. So we’ll look at the structure of the deal. We’ll see how it affects us. We’ll see how it affects our business and we’ll make the best decision for the NFL at that point.”
The best decision for the NFL is usually one word: More. Opening up the contract will inevitably result in more for the NFL.
Currently, the league can end all broadcast deals four years early, putting each package back on the market after the 2029 season. If the NFL is able to bid out half of the Sunday afternoon package, the league would certainly not get less than what CBS is paying.
If someone else paid more, CBS could be out, just like it was from 1994 to 1997, after Fox stole the NFC package.