NFL Network and ESPN are beneficiaries of a multiyear deal that makes Sprint Corp. the official wireless-telecommunications-service sponsor of the National Football League.
As part of the five-year pact, valued at some $600 million, Sprint -- which has completed its merger with Nextel Communications Inc. -- will spend some $100 million on NFL Network and NFL.com (www.nfl.com), while ESPN will gain some of the $300 million the company will allocate for commercials on NFL games.
The sponsorship will also give Sprint mobile customers access to live NFL Network programming, NFL Films archival footage and original content the company and the league will produce.
And the deal makes Sprint the presenting sponsor of the NFL Opening Kickoff 2005 event, the exclusive sponsor of wireless balloting for Super Bowl and Pro Bowl most-valuable-player balloting and a sponsor of ESPN’s Pro Bowl Selection Show in December and its Pro Bowl Skills Challenge next February.
