NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell criticized the league's own NFL Network regarding the production quality of games.
The 65-year-old executive found himself in an unusual situation as he spoke during testimony in federal court regarding a class-action lawsuit against the league's Sunday Ticket package, which alleges that the league broke antitrust laws.
While defending the package, Goodell also revealed something about Thursday Night Football, which was exclusively aired on NFL Network from its inception in 2006 until 2013.
"I had my own opinion that our production was below standards that the networks [Fox and CBS] had set. We had not met that standard," the commissioner said.
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As a result, from 2014 to 2017, CBS took over production and broadcasting duties for Thursday Night Football, with NBC joining them to share the rights from 2016 to 2017. Fox subsequently handled the broadcast from 2018 to 2021.
Beginning in 2022, Amazon secured exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football for its Prime Video streaming platform and Twitch in a deal spanning 11 years at $1 billion annually.
Roger Goodell defends Sunday Ticket package
Meanwhile, the league is facing legal challenges concerning its Sunday Ticket package.
Customers accuse the league of violating antitrust laws by selling its package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games at an inflated price.
They also argue that the league limited competition by exclusively offering the package through a satellite provider.
"We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality. Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not," Goodell said.
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