Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 9, 1990 TAG: 9003091841
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The deal, which cost the network more than $1 billion, includes the rights to the 1992 Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
"We are tremendously pleased to continue our 34-year association with the NFL and NFC games," said Neal Pilson, president of CBS Sports. "Retaining our Sunday package was a key element in our long-term corporate strategy of providing broadcast coverage of dominant sports franchises."
Apparently, regardless of the cost.
Pilson previously had dipped into the CBS coffers for $1.06 billion for four years of baseball, $1 billion for seven years of the NCAA Tournament basketball and $543 million for the next two Winter Olympics.
The NFL already had a contract with ABC worth more than $900 million for the Monday night package, an extra tier of playoff games the league provided and the silver anniversary Super Bowl from Tampa, Fla., in 1991.
As appetizers for those two network agreements, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and his television negotiators completed twin $450 million cable contracts with ESPN and TBS for Sunday night games.
Still to be heard from is NBC, locked in negotiations for its piece of the NFL pie after the expiration of its three-year, $360 million deal to air AFC games.
Under its previous deal, ABC paid $120 million per year. That figure increased $237.5 million per year under the new contract.
CBS had a three-year, $450 million contract. For an extra year, it more than doubled the league's payoff.
ESPN was paying $150 million for 24 regular-season games and three Pro Bowls. Now, with TBS added, cable television puts up six times that figure.
by CNB