NBC is adding a second night of NFL football.
The Peacock Network will split with CBS 10 Thursday Night Football games in each of the next two seasons, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Monday.
The networks paid a total of $450 million for the 10 games — or $45 million a game — up from $37.5 million last year.
The NFL Network will air the other eight TNF games exclusively — and simulcast the 10 network games.
In each of the last two seasons, CBS has aired eight games while the league-owned NFL Network aired all 18 games.
As usual, during NFL Network exclusive games, the contests will be broadcast in the local markets of the teams playing in the game.
CBS will get the first five games and NBC will get weeks six to 10.
While a huge ratings winner, TNF resulted in CBS losing $100 million, according to Guggenheim Partners’ Michael Morris.
Thirty-second spots on last season’s TNF hit $462,000 a pop, according to Ad Age.
CBS, and now NBC, evidently like the ability to promote shows to as many as 20 million viewers.
As the NFL slices its inventory of games thinner and thinner — while boosting its bottom line — the league is shopping the same games to a prospective digital player to distribute to those who prefer to watch NFL online.
But, as Morris points out, it would get an even worse deal since the national ad-sales rights stay with the two network partners. Figuring out how to monetize that coverage will be a head-scratcher.
Amazon, Yahoo!, YouTube and Apple have been discussed as possible digital partners.