"We knew going in this is a one-year deal," says CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves. "It's our job to show the NFL what we do and how great this can be. We're confident that after this year, they'll sit down and give us a longer deal."
Moonves made a rare appearance at the Television Critics Association summer press tour to help hype his acquisition, a passion project, and he was joined by CBS Sports' Sean McManus, New England Patriots' Robert Kraft and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell, more reserved in his enthusiasm, made sure to emphasize that the split with the NFL Network is not intended to slow the growth of the league's cable effort — by far the lowest-rated venue for TV's most-watched sport.
"We believe very much in the NFL network as a strategic asset," said Goodell, "and i fully believe going forward we'll have games on the NFL Network. ... We have not made a determination beyond the one-year. We made a short-term decision in what we think is a long-term strategy.
The NFL Network may not see the audience that CBS will inevitably get on Thursdays during the first half of the season, but it will share in the slick upgrade to the graphics and production.
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