Less Is More -- MADDEN's Deal Reportedly Worth $4 Million Annually

(From Sports Business Daily)

JOHN MADDEN's new six-year deal with NBC for SUNDAY NIGHT NFL broadcasts is worth $4 million annually, "down $1 million from his current agreement with ABC," according to DAVID BARRON of THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE.

NBC UNIVERSAL Sports And Olympic Chairman DICK EBERSOL said that Madden was NBC's "only candidate for the job" and added that he contacted Madden's agent, IMG's SANDY MONTAG, "the day NBC won the Sunday NFL package.

Madden confirmed that he "also talked with ESPN" about working Monday night games beginning in 2006.

In Minneapolis, JUDD ZUGLAD writes "two key factors that make NBC's package more attractive than ESPN's" are schedule flexibility and the lack of postseason games on ESPN. In addition to playoff games, NBC will broadcast the 2009 and 2012 SUPERBOWLS. In 2002, FOX released Madden from his $7.5 million contract a year early when ABC offered a four-year deal "worth about $20 million to have him work with AL MICHAELS" on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (MNF). THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's PAUL GOUGH notes Madden "will have worked on all four broadcast networks in his 25-year broadcasting career."

In a press conference introducing Madden yesterday, Ebersol said, "If anybody will check my quotes for the last twenty years about John Madden, I believe that he is the only big-time analyst in American television sports history, that if you're watching a game that begins to become a rout, he's the only guy you'll hang on for another 15, 20 minutes, half-hour, and we do measure our audiences in terms of how long they hang on." Madden said, "Somewhere, in your broadcasting career you have to work with Dick Ebersol, and that was something that I've always thought was in the back of my mind."

In Baltimore, KEN MURRAY writes, "Madden's arrival at NBC from ABC will formally stamp the transition of the NFL's top prime-time broadcast from Monday night to Sunday night in the eyes of most experts."

EISNER COMMUNICATIONS Executive VP and Director of Media Services BRIAN DECKER said, "I think it does. What they're trying to do is have some synergy from what they had Monday night and bring that over to Sunday. Having Madden legitimizes them."

Ebersol -- "Being on Sunday nights, coming after all of the games played during the day, gives (us) a very unique pulpit to review the day and not just in (our) pre-game show and not just at halftime. I hope that under the loose title FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA to really set John up and his partner to really be able to go through the stories of the day, the bigger stories of the day -- not that so-and-so had a 64-yard touchdown, but if there's really been some controversy, or there's been some amazing come-from-behind victory, we'll be able to build that into our coverage that night."

As NBC has a flexible schedule component built into its NFL deal, Ebersol said Madden will be "my partner in not only the booth, but in the boardrooms as we plot out this brand new, innovative device of flex scheduling. On the flex scheduling issue, I want very much for John to be my chief advisor on how to do that week-in and week-out."

THE USA TODAY's MICHAEL HIESTAND reports Ebersol "acknowledged interest in" AL MICHAELS as Madden's partner on NBC. While Michaels has said that he "won’t decide about NFL work until he finishes THE NBA FINALS," he has "made no secret of his lack of enthusiasm for cable TV work."

Ebersol said that "he'll talk with Michaels soon."

Meanwhile, Hiestand notes CBS "recently re-signed JIM NANTZ. FOX and JOE BUCK aren’t likely to part, because Buck also calls its WORLD SERIES games and is under contract through the 2006 SERIES."

Candidates to become Madden's partner include NBC's TOM HAMMOND, TNT's MARV ALBERT, formerly with NBC, and NBC's and HBO's BOB COSTAS. But Costas "seems more likely to end up in NBC's NFL STUDIO rather than on games."

Ebersol on Costas' involvement -- "I'm sure he'll have one of the major roles."

Costas -- "I'm versatile enough to do different things, so I'm a piece that can go various places in the jigsaw puzzle. I'm sure that Dick Ebersol and I will figure out what's the best spot for me in the lineup. I could be comfortable, as I have been at various times, with different assignments. I'm not pursuing anything, I'm not wedded to anything. It'll all play out."

While NBC does not plan on having a three-man booth, Ebersol said, "We will continue to talk with FOX' CRIS COLLINSWORTH (for a studio role) once he returns from a vacation in China."

ESPN's TONY KORNHEISER asked MICHAEL WILBON, "Would you say to Madden (if you were ABC), 'I don't know that you should be here for 2005. We'll get another guy like Tony Kornheiser, he's the guy.'"

NFL NETWORK's RICH EISEN, on Ebersol being asked by a member of the media if Madden would be part of the network’s Olympic coverage -- (The media member was) obviously not familiar with the Madden Cruiser. One can only wonder what Madden would have had to say about synchronized swimming."

Ebersol, on Madden's fear of flying -- "Unless I can find a really large boat, he won't be in Beijing."