letterten 2006-07 fall preview | nbc

NBC Sunday 8:00pm

debuts September 10, 8pm ET/5pm PT. Preview Thursday, September 7, 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

concept from	General Electric, NBC Universal and the National Football League today announced that NBC will become the exclusive home of Sunday Night Football, the NFL's primetime network television package. The six-year deal, which includes innovative flexible scheduling, begins with the 2006 season, continues through 2011 and includes Super Bowls in 2009 and 2012 and Pro Bowls in the same years. NBC has assembled the most honored broadcast team ever. Joining Michaels and Madden are: Bob Costas, the most honored studio host of all time with 19 Emmy Awards, who will host NBC's Football Night in America studio show alongside co-host Cris Collinsworth, the most honored studio analyst in history with six Emmy Awards; and analysts Sterling Sharpe, a five-time Pro Bowler and Jerome Bettis, one of the most popular players in recent NFL history. NBC Sunday Night Football coverage also includes sideline and feature reporter Andrea Kremer, whom the Los Angeles Times has called "the best TV interviewer in the business of covering the NFL." Peter King, who covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated and is considered one of the country's foremost NFL reporters, serves as a reporter for the Football Night in America studio show.
stars	Al Michaels, John Madden (commentators)
producers	Dick Ebersol
studio	NBC Sports

my take

This was a coup for NBC. After declining to bid on the NFL when the last broadcast contract expired, NBC tried a variety of things to bring viewers to the network. Even in my world where baseball is king, I know there is nothing like the NFL to bring viewers to screens. They are essentially taking a page out of the Fox playbook: The NFL is how Fox was built. It gives a near unprecedented platform to promote the hell out of their entire schedules. Yup, schedules. It's an NBCU world now. They also managed to snag Al Michaels and John Madden while convincing the NFL to allow them 'flexible scheduling' during the second half of the season so the games are meaningful. Would be in jeopardy of cancellation only if the Sun went nova.