CBS AND NFL REACH AGREEMENT ON TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF BROADCAST RIGHTS TO THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE THROUGH 2013-14 SEASON
NEW DEAL INCLUDES CBS TELEVISION NETWORK TO BROADCAST SUPER BOWL XLVII IN FIRST YEAR
NEW YORK, May 19, 2009 – The National Football League announced today that CBS has been awarded a rights extension to broadcast the American Football Conference (AFC). The two-year extension agreement runs through the 2013-14 season and includes CBS broadcasting Super Bowl XLVII in the first year of the new agreement.
The CBS television negotiations were led by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation, and Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports.
“This agreement significantly strengthens what is already a great partnership between CBS and the NFL, and continues to add to CBS Sports’ reputation as the undisputed industry leader in sports television with top franchises in all of television,” said Moonves. “I would like to thank all the great people at CBS Sports and at the NFL for making this important deal happen.”
Thirteen of CBS’s 14 Owned stations are in NFL markets, including New York, San Francisco/Oakland, Boston, Miami, Denver, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which are all AFC markets.
"We are extremely pleased to extend this agreement as well as our successful partnership with the NFL, which continues to prove that NFL football is the premier property in all of sports and the number one-rated franchise in all of sports television,” said McManus.
CBS Sports, which first began televising NFL regular-season games in 1956 and this season mark its 50th season, had broadcast rights to the National Football Conference package from 1970 through 1993. The Network began televising American Football Conference games in 1998.
CBS Television is comprised of the CBS Television Network – with more than 200 owned and affiliated stations reaching virtually every television home in the United States; the Network’s programming arms CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports; and CBS Enterprises, a global leader in distribution.
HBO SPORTS’ MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7, A FOUR-EPISODE ALL-ACCESS SERIES LEADING UP TO THE PAY-PER-VIEW SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO BOXING SUPERSTARS, DEBUTS JUNE 27, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO
NEW YORK, May 19, 2009 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured seven Sports Emmy® Awards, will return with MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7, an all-new four-episode, all-access series, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Debuting SATURDAY, JUNE 27 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), the series spotlights a host of intriguing storylines, with Floyd Mayweather, the sport’s most irrepressible superstar, returning after a year-and-a-half absence to face Juan Manuel Marquez, one of boxing’s most accomplished performers, as they prepare for their July 18 welterweight pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas.
Noted Greenburg, “This latest edition of ‘24/7’ features all the ingredients that we look for in greenlighting the ‘24/7’ franchise: big-time boxing stars, engaging storylines and in Floyd’s case, a larger-than-life personality that is tailor-made for reality television. This fight is sure to generate a lot of interest, and we hope to present another compelling television program.”
Episodes two and three of MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 debut on subsequent Saturdays – JULY 4 (9:45-10:15 p.m.) and 11 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) – while the finale debuts FRIDAY, JULY 17 (9:30-10:00 p.m.), just one night before the fight. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.
MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as these determined warriors prepare for the second mega-fight of 2009. This is Mayweather’s third “24/7” appearance, while Marquez is making his HBO reality series debut. Regarded as the best boxer of his era, the undefeated Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) is back at full speed both in and out of the ring after a brief self-imposed retirement.
Marquez is a dynamic fighter (50-4-1, 37 KOs) from Mexico City who shares at least one thing with his flashy opponent: They’re both willing to fight anybody in the sport, regardless of division. Marquez is moving up from the lightweight ranks to the talent-rich welterweight division to challenge boxing’s most provocative star.
Storylines for this fast-paced series will include the interaction between Mayweather and his uncle/trainer, Roger Mayweather, and Marquez’s rock-solid relationship with his longtime trainer Ignacio Beristain.
MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 is the latest installment of the widely acclaimed “24/7” franchise that began in 2007 on HBO with “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” and “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7.” The series continued in 2008 with “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” and “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7,” and resumed in 2009 with “Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7.”
Newsday.com has observed, “HBO’s 24/7 series is the best sports program on television. Bar none.”
At the 2009 Sports Emmy® Awards, “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthologies, while “Calzaghe/Jones 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, Outstanding Editing and Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound. At the 2008 Sports Emmy® Awards, “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7” was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, while “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7” was honored in the categories of Outstanding Camera Work and Outstanding Writing.
On Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), HBO Pay-Per-View presents “Mayweather vs. Marquez,” live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The executive producers of MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer, Dave Harmon; producers, Thomas Odelfelt and Abtin Motia. Liev Schreiber narrates.
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