3 Looming Questions for Sports in '16

摘要

Sports fans, your cup ranneth over in 2015, from a Super Bowl thriller to long championship droughts ending in baseball, basketball and horse racing's Triple Crown. TV audiences have flocked to the action and ad rates have followed suit, as have license fees. The cost of rights has, indirectly, dented Walt Disney Co.'s stock price and looms large as an issue for 2016. But it's not the only one. As the New Year dawns, here are three of the biggest questions facing the sports TV game: Will CBS keep Thursday Night Football? The NFL was happy enough with TNFs 2014 debut on CBS that it agreed to a one-year extension (at $300 million), and the ratings more than delivered. No other NFL rights are available until 2021, so the league will act quickly on the heated bidding, promising networks a decision by the end of winter. All broadcast nets are vying, as reportedly is Turner, which is riding strong results from playoffs in NCAA basketball and Major League Baseball.