If you were waiting for the NFL to stop putting its product behind a paywall to get you to sign up for streaming services you otherwise wouldn’t sign up for; you’re going to have to continue waiting.
The league announced Tuesday that the Eagles’ opening game of the 2024 NFL season, played on Friday, Sept. 6, in Sao Paolo, Brazil, will air exclusively on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
The Eagles are still waiting to find out who they will play on Sept. 6. Reports indicate it will be the Packers or the Browns.
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles past L’Jarius Sneed #38 of the Kansas City Chiefs for a touchdown in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 20, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
While the game will be the Eagles’ season opener, it will not be the league’s season opener.
That honor traditionally falls to the defending Super Bowl champs, who host the first game, and this year will be no different.
In an interview with the New York Post, NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said that Peacock spent $110 million to exclusively stream the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game. Some reports suggest that over 70% of those who purchased the Peacock package to watch the game kept the streaming service.
Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, runs with the ball during the first half against the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
“It’s more or less, get them in the door with football and expose them to the library, which we think is one of the best — if not the best — in streaming,” Cordella said when explaining the strategy behind Peacock’s desire to stream the game exclusively.
“It’s a lot more than just this football game. You see reasonable people complaining, and then they realize what it is beyond a one-time NFL streamer.”
ESPN+ also features some exclusive NFL games, and other streaming services are expected to pursue similar deals.