From Millions to Billions: How the NFL Became Television’s King

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In the 1960s, shortly after beginning what would be a 31-year career as chairman of the NFL’s Television Committee, then Browns owner Art Modell called league Commissioner Pete Rozelle to provide the details of the new TV deal he had just negotiated with CBS, which had the exclusive broadcast rights to the games.

Modell gave him the dollar figure, which was in the millions, and Rozelle congratulated him
on getting a princely sum for the league.

“No, that’s for each team,” Modell said.

There was dead silence on the other end of the line.

Yes, the relationship between TV and football, a marriage made in heaven as everyone was learning, was beginning to pay some big dividends, shocking league officials.

Those numbers, though, look like chump change in comparison to the amount of money being tossed around now. Football on the small screen has indeed become increasingly popular and quite lucrative, so such so, in fact, that fans will tune in — in droves — to watch players work out in t-shirts and shirts, something that would have been laughable back in those early days.

That’s exactly what will happen this week as the annual NFL Combine is held in Indianapolis. The ratings for these workouts will be higher than actual games for some other sports. The fans just can’t get enough football, and indications are that it will only keep growing.

The Combine is just the first step of the process leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be staged two months from now, April 23-25, in Pittsburgh. The telecast of that will be must-see TV. In addition, hundreds of thousands of fans will view it in person each day.

Art Modell and Pete Rozelle would be totally amazed.

Steve King

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