NFL shatters viewing record. Streamers take notice
Astros, Rockets latest to launch DTC app. Apple using iPhone in MLS coverage
Good morning, all!
It has been one week since Thanksgiving and the numbers for the Kansas City Chiefs-Dallas Cowboys telecast are in. Record-breaking is putting it mildly. More than 57.23M viewed the telecast with a peak audience of 61M.
When the NFL released its schedule in May, it was thought Chiefs-Cowboys on Thanksgiving would set a record for most-viewed NFL game on Thanksgiving Day. Turns out, it was the most-viewed regular season game in NFL history: Thanksgiving, Sunday, Monday, pick your day.
And there is more. It was also the third most-watched television program this year, trailing only - you guessed it - the Super Bowl and the AFC Championship game between the Bills and Chiefs. Packers-Lions, which preceded the Chiefs-Cowboys, was the second-most regular season game watched ever, at 47.7M. The primetime match, Bengals-Ravens, was a smash too, attracting more than 28M viewers. Presumably, people found time to eat their Thanksgiving dinners.
Can you understand why the NFL wants to renegotiate its TV contracts with the networks now, even though the deals run until 2032? (The NFL does have an opt out after 2029) Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated the league is leaving money on the table, even though it pulls in $11B annually from the networks.
Expect the TV situation to get sticky, especially since streamers want in. They know eyeballs are on live sporting events, especially the NFL. Why do you think Amazon Prime carries a Thursday night game and is also in on the NBA and the Yankees? Why do you think Netflix is going all out on Christmas Day with the NFL and also cut a deal with MLB? Heck, Netflix is even willing to go deep in debt, bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery because the WBD holds the rights to numerous sports via its subsidiary TNT.
Meanwhile, Goodell and the owners do the math, figuring how much money they could make if they bypassed legacy television all together and streamed their content in a direct-to-consumer platform. That day is coming. You might pay for sports now via an exorbitant cable bill, but the NFL and other sports are banking their fans are willing to pay up to watch their content in return for cutting the cord.
Cable TV is going the way of rabbit ears. The cable TV companies know it, the networks know it and the commissioner of the NFL certainly knows it. His league may be rolling in billions of dollars, but billions more are to be had, thanks to changing technology. Any sports league that doesn’t understand this shifting dynamic will be left in the dust.
Here are some other stories that caught my eye:
The Houston Astros and Rockets have announced they are launching a joint venture that involves viewing their games on a DTC app. The cost will be $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. Yet another example of changing times, as sports entities look to maximize revenue and stay one step ahead of a fading technology.
And speaking of technology, Apple TV will incorporate four iPhones in its live coverage of the MLS Final on Saturday.
Yes, the New York Giants have become a laughing stock.
Wouldn’t that be something if Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft both entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year? The two, along with Roger Craig, Kenny Anderson and L.C. Greenwood were named on Wednesday as finalists for the Class of 2026.
The baseball Hall of Fame Contemporary Era Committee will announce its results on Sunday night on the MLB Network. We will learn if Barry Bonds and Roger Clemons are among those who get elected. Also on the ballot are Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent and Fernando Valenzuela.
The NFL’s big Week 14, with huge matchups everywhere, kicks off tonight, when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys are getting three points. This is a must win for both teams, whose playoff hopes are hanging in the balance. I will have my Picks for Kicks segment on Saturday.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Have a terrific Thursday and thank you for being a subscriber.
DAN