'Most Wonderful Time of The Year' for NFL: January

摘要

Between A Full Day of NBA action on Dec. 25 and two weeks of college bowl games, the holiday season truly does offer the gift that keeps on giving for sports fans. But once the mistletoe is put away and Times Square drops the ball like a beleaguered quarterback, it's the NFL playoffs that bring viewers much-needed respite from the winter doldrums-while bringing advertisers reasons to be cheerful. For the league's TV partners, January's playoffs represent the last hurrah under the current rights deal, which expires after the NFL champion is crowned in New Jersey on Feb. 2 in Super Bowl XLVIII. Next season, NBC will trade one of its wild card Saturday doubleheader games for a Saturday spot during the divisional round, which will alternate with CBS and Fox.