A trio of television networks have submitted bids to broadcast Thursday Night Football next season, but one, in particular, seems to overshadow the rest.
CBS, Fox, and NBC have all submitted formal bids, however, Fox appears to be the only one that has exceeded the current rights fee of a combined $450 million that both CBS and NBC paid this season, according to John Ourand of Sports Business Daily, citing sources.
Networks such as ESPN and Turner Sports did not submit bids.
Both CBS and NBC have reportedly submitted bids that would pay a lower rights fee than they currently pay. It remains unknown exactly how much higher Fox's bid was than its competition, according to Ourand.
CBS and NBC, who split coverage on the package this past season, have publicly admitted the endeavor resulted in both companies losing money.
CBS averaged 14.1 million viewers for its five games this season, which was down four percent from last year, and 20 percent from 2015. NBC reportedly averaged 13.5 million for its five games, down a total of 21 percent from last campaign.
