NFL, CBS agree to Thursday night football deal for 2015
Thursday Night Football broadcasts will return to CBS and NFL Network for the 2015 season, the league announced on Sunday.
While CBS will produce all 16 of the games, the network will only air the first eight Thursday night games of the season. Those games will be simulcast on NFL Network. NFL Network will exclusively air the additional eight games.
Two of the 16 games will air late in the season on a Saturday. That arrangement will be similar, if not identical, to the 2014 season, when the league's Week 16 slate included a game on Thursday night as well as two games on Saturday.
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"We are pleased to extend our partnership with CBS for Thursday Night Football," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "The promotion and production by CBS and NFL Network last season made Thursday night a night for NFL football. We look forward to working again next season with CBS."
CBS became the first broadcast network to air Thursday night games this past season, when it struck a deal reportedly worth $250 million.
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The NFL has an option in the deal to extend the agreement to 2016, as well, if it so chooses.
CBS will also air its regularly scheduled Sunday afternoon NFL games throughout the 2015 season and also has the rights to Super Bowl 50.
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