NFL extends television contracts

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NEW YORK, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The National Football League announced Wednesday it had extended its television contracts with CBS, Fox and NBC through the 2022 season.

The current contract was set to expire following the 2013 season. The new nine-year deal is the longest the NFL has ever signed with its various broadcast entities.

Monetary figures were not announced, but CBS Sports.com said it had learned the contract calls for a 7 percent increase annually and the final year of the deal will bring the league $3.1 billion.

As late as 1993 the league received less than $1 billion a year in rights fees. A dollar amount for each contract was once included in the NFL's annual record book, but such references have been removed from recent editions of that publication.

The new contract will maintain the current associations with the various networks. Sunday afternoon games will be shown on CBS and Fox. NBC will continue to show games on Sunday night.

The Monday night package currently shown by ESPN was not part of the extended contract. When that deal is negotiated it will boost the NFL's television revenue total.