The NFL does not appear likely to let a global pandemic stop long-planned rights negotiations in 2020.
According to John Ourand of Sports Business Daily, media executives and league bosses have already had preliminary discussions about the negotiations to come. The expectation is that formal negotiations between the league and potential media partners will kick off at some point within the next three months.
As with many things right now, the situation is complicated by both the coronavirus pandemic and the economic issues that it has caused. The finances of the media companies have been negatively impacted, but it is understood that no plans have changed regarding what they are willing to pay despite an economic slowdown.
Negotiations will continue in part because there is no clear idea of when the global situation will improve. Plus, the league must negotiate TV rights for two extra playoff games that have been added as part of the new collective bargaining agreement.
It’s been largely business as usual for the NFL despite the pandemic, though with some modifications. That has made some teams angry, but these media negotiations can probably be carried out remotely. The optics won’t be great, especially if the economy is in a significant downturn, but the league has already shown that it doesn’t prioritize that highly, for better or worse.
