ESPN, NFL agree to eight-year deal

[Risen Star]

ESPN and the NFL announced an eight-year rights extension on Thursday that will keep Monday Night Football on ESPN through 2021 and will increase the number of NFL-related shows on the network significantly.

The agreement, which begins in 2014 at the end of the current deal, also includes more broadband rights for ESPN.com and ESPN mobile platforms, increased international rights and the option to carry a wild-card playoff game on ESPN if the NFL decides to.

The agreement includes 17 Monday Night Football games a season through 2021, an additional 500 hours of new NFL-branded studio programming (beginning immediately), extra highlights on all platforms, coverage of the Pro Bowl and NFL draft, the ability to show Monday Night Football and NFL studio programming on the WatchESPN app, and rights for ESPN Deportes and international networks, including regular season, playoff games and the Super Bowl in 144 countries.

ESPN first agreed to a deal with the NFL in 1980 to cover the draft. It started covering regular-season games in 1987 with Sunday Night Football and moved to Monday Night Football in 2006. Eight of the top 10 programs in cable history (excluding breaking news) were NFL games on ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6942957/espn-nfl-television-deal-keeps-monday-night-football-network-2021

[Biggems]

now that it is official, can we please get rid of the MNF nonsense when it is Thursday.

ESPN Presents: Thursday Night Lights

Have its own intro music, different from MNF

btw, what does this do to the college games that are usually on ESPN on Thursday? Do they move to ESPN 2? Will that concept die altogether, since the NFL will most likely steal away the majority of their viewers?