FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 15th, 2021
USFL REACHES MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports Joins FOX Sports as New League’s Official Broadcast and Streaming Partners
Los Angeles – December 15, 2021 – The USFL announced today that it reached a multi-year agreement with NBC Sports to present the new league’s regular and postseason games beginning in April 2022. NBC Sports joins FOX Sports as the league’s official broadcast partners set to carry all 43 games.
While the league will release its official television schedule at a later date, NBC Sports will present 21 USFL games in 2022 on NBC (8), USA Network (9), and Peacock (4), and FOX Sports will carry 22 games split between FOX (12) and FS1 (10). The combined regular-season coverage on NBC and FOX will give the USFL more national over-the-air broadcast windows (20) than any regularly scheduled sport in the first half of the year.
“We’re excited to partner with the USFL and FOX Sports to present this new era of professional football,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports. “With our multiple platforms across broadcast, cable, and streaming, football fans throughout the country will be able to experience the USFL’s opening season this spring.”
“We’re thrilled to have NBC Sports join FOX Sports as an official media partner of the new USFL,” said FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks, who will serve as Chairman of the USFL’s Board of Directors. “Like FOX, NBC has a reputation for excellence in football production, and the exposure both companies have committed to the USFL, including a combined 20 games on broadcast television, will provide fans unprecedented access all season long.”
In 2022, the USFL’s eight teams will play in one host city, which the league will announce shortly. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits comprise the teams in the South Division. The North Division features the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, followed by semifinals between the top two teams in each division and a championship game between division winners.
Last month, the USFL named Brian Woods, a league co-founder, President of Football Operations; former Dallas Cowboys standout and longtime NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston, Executive Vice President, Football Operations; former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira, Head of Officiating; and FOX Sports’ Edward Hartman, Executive Vice President, Business Operations.
The USFL is a new, independent football league controlled by FOX Sports through USFL HoldCo, LLC, a new business entity, and it is not associated or affiliated with the USFL of the 1980s or its owners. For more information, visit http://USFL2.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
# # #
