NBC Sports Group has renewed its media rights deal with
Notre Dame football with a 10-year extension that carries through the 2025
season.
The new agreement, which begins in 2016, includes rights for
the NBC Sports Network to carry certain games. NBC Sports Group maintains their
global media rights to at least seven games Notre Dame home football games per
year, with most airing on the NBC broadcast network. NBC Sports Digital will
continue to live-stream games, which it has since 2009.
Last season, NBC averaged 4.4 million viewers and a 2.8 HH
rating for its seven games, up 69% and 67%, respectively, versus 2011. The
Fighting Irish are coming off an undefeated regular season, though they lost to
Alabama in the BCS Championship Game.
"Coming off one of Notre Dame's best and most dramatic
seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic
partnership, which continues to be one of the most innovative in sports-media
history," said Mark Lazarus, chairman, NBC Sports Group. "We are
particularly excited that this extension offers enhanced rights that allow us
to bring Notre Dame Football to fans on more platforms than ever before."
NBC has been televising Notre Dame football
since 1991 and the new agreement will extend the partnership to 35 years.
