https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMmEOni3MQ
Executives at Paramount Global’s CBS Sports division have decided to not renew a contract for the National Football League’s (NFL) weekly recap show “Inside the NFL,” according to a report published on Wednesday.
The move comes less than two years after the program moved from Paramount’s Showtime cable network to the relaunched Paramount Plus, where it streamed exclusively for the last two seasons. The recap show includes highlights from each NFL game played during the week, with footage provided by NFL Films and analysis from CBS Sports commentators and reporters.
CBS and Paramount acquired the rights to “Inside the NFL” in 2008 after it finished a 31-year run on HBO. According to the Sports Business Journal, the NFL is still committed to the program, but it will have to shop around for a new home starting with the upcoming 2023-2024 football season.
“Inside the NFL will not return to Paramount Plus next season,” a spokesperson for Paramount Global said in a statement on Tuesday. “We thank the talented production teams at NFL Films, CBS Sports and Showtime Sports, along with the exceptional on-air talent, for their outstanding contributions over the years.”
While the NFL has reportedly started to shop the program around to different companies, it wasn’t clear if there was any interest from other networks or streaming services. The Sports Business Journal speculated Amazon Prime Video, Google’s YouTube and Apple TV Plus could be contenders for the show; Comcast’s Peacock streaming service could also bundle the show with its Sunday Night Football simulcasts from NBC.
A spokesperson for the NFL said the league was “excited for the continued evolution of this iconic program with a new partner as we look ahead to the 2023 NFL season.”
Meanwhile, Paramount remains laser focused on building out its sports offering on Paramount Plus, with the company set to debut its new CBS Sports Golazo Network later this month. The service has multi-year rights to professional soccer events and related programming, including matches from the UEFA Champions League, and will continue to offer professional football and golf via CBS.
