ESPN to broadcast NFL playoff game
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones makes a catch as cornerback Richard Marshall #31 of the San Diego Chargers defends during an AFC Wild Card game at Paul Brown Stadium. (Jan. 5, 2014) Credit: Getty
ESPN will televise an NFL wild-card playoff game this coming season, the first postseason game in the league's modern era not to be shown nationally on a broadcast channel. The game will be simulcast on a broadcast outlet in the markets of the teams involved, the procedure followed for “Monday Night Football’’ on ESPN.
Sports Business Journal reported ESPN -- which already is paying the league about $1.9 billion per season -- will pay an additional $100 million per season for the playoff game.
NBC, which in recent years has shown two wild-card games, now will show one wild-card game but will add a game in the divisional round to its schedule. It will alternate years between an AFC or NFC game.
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