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Moments in NFL History: NFL watchable from anywhere

By: Jake Ray/Pro Football Hall of Fame
image: NFL on TV
Sports announcer and founder of the American Football League Harry Wismer while watching his team on television. Credit: Marty Lederhandler/Associated Press

In today’s world, not only can you watch your favorite team on your local FOX, CBS or NBC affiliate, but you also can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket and watch your favorite team every week.

Don’t have that? That’s OK! Just tune into NFL RedZone and Scott Hanson will walk you through every NFL game and every NFL score.

As with a lot of things in NFL history, the game has seen an overhaul of changes, and one traces its roots to this date (Oct. 22) in 1939, when the NFL debuted on television screens in the New York City area.

The Brooklyn Dodgers were playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn in front of 13,000 fans – a drastic drop from the 70,000 spectators who watched a college game there the previous day. NBC, still in its infancy, carried the game on two affiliates.

image: Slide1_ 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers football team pose for a team photo.Credit: Associated Press
image: Slide1_ 1939 Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles owner and head coach Bert Bell talks to his squad. Credit: Associated Press

The telecast went to fewer than 1,000 New York television sets for fans to watch the game from the comfort of their homes. Pulling off this historic feat required a surprisingly modest staff of eight people onsite and only two cameras.

By comparison, several hundred network crew members are credentialed each summer for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

While the network did not use the crew nor technology available today, that didn’t keep this monumental moment from influencing today’s broadcasts. The use of the sideline camera, the only position used in 1939, would be the standard for all NFL broadcasts starting in 2017.

The sole announcer, Allen (Skip) Walz, recalled the game.

“I’d sit with my chin on the rail in the mezzanine, and the camera was over my shoulder. I did my own spotting, and when the play moved up and down the field, on punts or kickoffs, I’d point to tell the cameraman what I’d be talking about,” Walz recalled to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The game entertained its hometown fans, too. The Dodgers jumped out to an early lead before the Eagles tied it at 7-7 going into halftime. The Dodgers took over the game after that, scoring four times unanswered, highlighted with stellar play from ACE PARKER and BRUSIER KINARD, to build a 23-14 lead late in the game. The BERT BELL-led Eagles got closer when Hall of Famer BILL HEWITT scored on a pass reception. Final score: 23-14.

The broadcast, as you might imagine, did not run as smoothly as they do today. When clouds blocked the sun, there was not enough light for the cameras, causing the picture to go blank. The commercial-free broadcast meant fans got over 2½ hours of uninterrupted football viewing.

image: Slide2_ Monday Night Football 1970
Cleveland Browns defensive ends Jack Gregory and Ron Snidow blast through the New York Jets protection to pressure quarterback Joe Namath.Credit: Associated Press

This moment in NFL history started a snowball effect of television’s influence on the game:

  • 1950: Rams and Redskins become the first teams to have all their games televised
  • 1955: NBC becomes the televised home of the NFL’s championship game, paying $100,000 for the rights
  • 1956: CBS begins regularly televising regular-season games
  • 1960: Fledgling American Football League signs five-year television contract with ABC
  • 1970: With AFL-NFL merger, NFC games broadcast on CBS and AFC games broadcast on NBC. Also, “Monday Night Football” debuts on ABC
  • 1982: League signs new five-year deal with ABC, NBC and CBS
  • 1987: Cable TV enters the fold with ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football”
  • 1990: Combined contracts with ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT total $3.6 billion
  • 1998: CBS, FOX, ABC and ESPN all announce new deals for $4 billion-plus over eight years
  • 2006: FOX and CBS renew deals through 2011; ESPN becomes the home of “Monday Night Football” until 2014; NBC lands “Sunday Night Football”
  • 2011: All other networks renew deals, surpassing $1 billion per year
  • 2020: “Monday Night Football” becomes simulcast on ABC and ESPN
  • 2021: ESPN/ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC announce new deal through 2033 worth approximately $10 billion per year for each network
image: Slide3_ Super Bowl LIX
Philadelphia Eagles players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles won the NFL Super Bowl LIX.Credit: David J. Phillip/Associated Press

From several hundred homes to households around the world now able to watch televised football, the growth has been staggering. The sport dominates U.S. television ratings – generally occupying more than 90 of the top 100 slots annually. Of the top 20 most-viewed television broadcasts all time, NFL games (more specifically Super Bowls) hold 19 spots.

So kick back, relax and make sure to tune in to some football this Sunday!

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