US national network NBC has added an extra NFL regular season game to its slate, to expand its coverage of the top American football league in 2024.
The major broadcaster has acquired rights to an additional game on Saturday, December 21, and will provide coverage across its main NBC channel, the Peacock streaming service, and the Telemundo Spanish-language offering.
The extra game on NBC Sports’ schedule will be an afternoon matchup and coupled with its Sunday Night Football showing on December 22, marks the first time since 1997 that NBCUniversal will present NFL games on both Saturday and Sunday in Week 16 of the regular season.
It was recently reported that Netflix has been in negotiations with the NFL over exclusively streaming the two Christmas Day games the league will be putting on this year.
Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, has said “We’re excited to work with our partners at the NFL to acquire an additional game for NBCUniversal platforms at a crucial point in the playing season.
“With two NFL games in exclusive windows on the last December weekend before the holidays, we continue to deliver for our owned-stations, affiliates, and partners.”
Elsewhere in NFL news, it was announced yesterday (May 13) that the opening game of the 2024 season on September 5 will feature a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game, as reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens.
NBCUniversal will kick off the NFL season with three primetime games on the opening weekend – which it claims is a first for any media company.
On September 6, Peacock will provide exclusive coverage of the matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, marking the NFL’s first-ever game in Brazil and the league’s first opening weekend Friday game since 1970.
This will be followed by NBC’s first traditional Sunday Night Football showing of the new season on September 8.
NBC holds a package of NFL rights through 2034 under an 11-year deal worth $2 billion per year.
