NFL Reportedly Looking To Renegotiate TV Deals To Bring In Even More Money

The NFL is looking to cash in on the explosion of sports betting and fantasy football, because the money-printing machine must never stop for America's richest sports league.

A new report this week from John Ourand of Puck claims that the NFL is looking into renegotiating existing media rights deals before they're even allowed to opt-out of their existing contracts. For most agreements, their first available opt-out is 2029, though with Disney/ESPN, it's 2030.

Apparently, though, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell are at least mildly concerned that the end of the Major League Baseball rights agreement in 2028 could impact their ability to drive prices even higher. If baseball, for example, sees a substantial increase in prices, it could limit NFL broadcasters' ability to bid even higher. Considering the limited amount of funds available in a tough economic environment.

READ: NFL Still King: Week 1 Averages Record-Setting 21 Million Viewers Per Game

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

NFL Keen On Maintaining TV Revenue Dominance

Per the report, the NFL would look to, at a bare minimum, add "another year or two" onto its current agreements. That would push the expiration date out to 2035. Not so coincidentally, the NBA's new media rights expire in 2036.

There's also some consideration that traditional networks like CBS, Fox and NBC, are currently in fierce competition with streaming outlets like Amazon, Apple TV+, and Netflix for sports broadcasts. That competition could drive up prices and lock in an extension now, as each side looks to grow their reach.

The NFL brings in roughly $10 billion per year from their media deals. That sounds high, until you look at the NBA bringing in $7 billion per year as a much less popular sport. Thanks to the rapid proliferation of sports betting and daily fantasy, viewership of the NFL continues to skyrocket. 

Beneficial scheduling helps too; the NFL is able to dominate specific time windows and put the vast majority of its games on one day. That's a tremendous advantage over daily sports like baseball or basketball.

And despite endless increases in revenue, it's never enough. In an era where linear television ratings have continued to decline thanks to cord cutting, the NFL has not only avoided any declines, but has continued to grow. Making their rights properties arguably the single most valuable commodity in broadcasting. That's the power of gambling for you.