TV money gives NFL leg up if fans can't fill team's coffers

DALLAS (AP) — Timing favored the NFL over other major pro sports leagues in trying to figure out how to keep the coronavirus pandemic from wrecking the 2020 season.

America's most popular sport has another big advantage if the games are played: TV money.

While NFL owners could lose billions collectively with limited capacities in stadiums or no fans at all, the league is well-positioned financially because of lucrative media contracts approaching $10 billion in a full 2020 season.

And so far, the NFL is on pace to play games this fall.

“The NFL takes its position as America’s sport, the nation’s sport, very seriously,” said Marc Ganis, co-founder of the Chicago-based consulting group Sportscorp and close observer of the pro sports business scene. “They will move heaven and earth, make whatever adjustments are necessary. As long as players and coaches are healthy, they will get the games on.”

Ganis says there are plenty of options within that premise: no fans, some fans, perhaps even full stadiums by season's end, or teams playing somewhere other than their regular venue because of restrictions related to the pandemic.

Regardless, the financial health of the NFL isn't among the questions, at least for now, while other leagues grapple with issues over fan-related dollars that more profoundly affect their ability to operate.

Fitch Ratings recently affirmed its “A-plus” credit mark for the NFL and its properties while noting that the league had approved raising the borrowing limit for each club to $500 million from $350 million. While Fitch analyst Chad Lewis said the debt limit had more to do with larger capital spending, such as stadiums and practice facilities, the company attributes part of its strong rating to the television deals. Fitch says the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/TV-money-gives-NFL-leg-up-if-fans-can-t-fill-15337929.php