NBC Considers Cutting Off Prime Time Programming After 10 P.M. in the Wake of Committing Billions to College, NFL Football: Report
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Executives at NBC are reportedly considering cutting off the network’s programming after the 10 p.m. ET hour after it paid huge sums to air football games beginning next year.
That would presumably affect the hour partially filled by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as the hour would be handed to local affiliates to do with as they please.
Fallon would likely move to an earlier slot, the Wall Street Journal first reported Friday afternoon.
Per the report, such a move would help NBC cut costs as traditional programming wanes in popularity and save the network tens of millions of dollars.
NBC did not confirm the report, but a spokesperson told the Journal the company is constantly evaluating its business model.
“We are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible. As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable, and streaming,” the spokesperson said.
No decision has been made, but if the changes occur, they will reportedly begin in the fall of 2023.
The report comes weeks after NBC committed $7 billion to a seven-year contract to air Big Ten football. The network will air a season-long slate of league games in the evening on Saturdays.
ESPN reported:
The deal will begin July 1, 2023, and run through the end of the 2029-30 athletic year. Specific terms were not disclosed, but a financial windfall won’t come immediately, according to media sources.
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The Big Ten is projected to eventually distribute $80 million to $100 million per year to each of its 16 members.
NBC agreed to a new contract with the NFL in March that will continue the run of Sunday Night Football for an additional 11 years and give the network three Super Bowls and multiple playoff games.
The league negotiated a contract with multiple networks which will pay out a combined $10 billion annually for broadcasting rights.
