NFL Eases TV Broadcast Restrictions

National Football League team owners have renewed the NFL’s exclusive video gaming rights with Electronic Arts and eased restrictions on how many games CBS and Fox can broadcast on Sundays.

CNBC reports terms of the multiyear agreement with EA Sports, which produces the popular Madden NFL football series, were not announced.

Brian Rolapp, NFL executive vice president and chief media and business officer, said Thursday the league spent a year analyzing the gaming sector and listening to pitches from rival firms, including 2K Games, owned by New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software. Rolapp said EA made the “most compelling case and beat out the competition pretty profoundly.”

The NFL also altered a rule around its media distribution of live games on Sundays. Rolapp said the “single-header protection” rule would be loosened. The rule prevents the “double-header” network (CBS or Fox) from simultaneously airing games in markets where the home team is playing.

Starting next season, Rolapp said fans can now expect to see three games four times per market. Last year, the NFL tweaked the rule to twice per market. Following the 2020 year, Rolapp said the NFL could change the rule again to make it more fan-friendly.

“I think we will continue to look for opportunities to perpetuate that model, which is a broad distribution of our games,” Rolapp said. “What that will look like — we’re still working through, but technology will have a big part of that. I think you will continue to see us push how we can get more football to fans on an easy access basis.”

Owners also approved a game rule to permanently expand automatic replay reviews. Game officials can now review scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul.