NFL: CBS to air eight Thursday Night Football games in 2014

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms have been teamed in the CBS booth since 2004. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

CBS has agreed to a deal with the NFL to air eight early-season Thursday Night Football games that will also be simulcast on NFL Network, both sides announced on Wednesday.

NFL Network will exclusively air eight late-season games (six on Thursday, two on Saturday), but those games will also be produced by CBS.

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CBS's lead play-by-play team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will broadcast all 16 games, but NFL Network hosts and analysts will be featured in the pregame, halftime and postgame shows along with CBS Sports personalities.

The agreement is for the 2014 season with an additional year at the NFL’s option. It is unknown how much CBS paid for the package, but initial bids were in the high $200 million range, sources told John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.

“NFL Network built Thursday into a night for NFL fans,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Our goal is to bring these games to more fans on broadcast television with unprecedented promotion and visibility for Thursday Night Football on CBS.”

Thursday Night Football began with an eight-game slate in 2006 and moved to 13 games in 2012.

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