The NFL’s next round of TV deals, which have been inching closer to completion in recent weeks, are not done yet.
Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of FOX, said Thursday that his network and the NFL are “still apart on a number of issues,” according to Variety.
However, Murdoch also said he believes FOX will keep its Sunday afternoon package of games but give up Thursday night games after its current contract for Thursday games ends after the 2022 season. Thursday night games appear likely to be split between NFL Network and Amazon Prime, starting in 2023.
FOX may pay up to $2 billion a year for Sunday afternoon games.
“These are big dollars,” Murchoch said, but he added that NFL TV contracts have proven to be worth the money: “Historically, they’ve gone up, not down.”