NEW YORK -- NBC will funnel theatrical movies to Sunday afternoons during the fourth quarter of 1998 in an effort to replace the American Football Conference games that the network lost to CBS in a bidding war earlier this week.
NBC Sports topper Dick Ebersol revealed the programming strategy during a conference call with reporters to discuss NBC's decision to pass on renewing the AFC games. The network dropped out when the pricetag shot up from $217 million a year under the expiring four-year contract to $500 million a year for the next eight years.
NBC News will also develop programming for the Sunday-afternoon time periods, Ebersol said. The network was quick to announce its replacement programming to forestall NBC's affiliates from buying syndicated shows on the premise that the Sunday time periods are up for grabs.
NBC didn't reveal any titles, but one source says no blockbusters are likely to turn up: The network saves theatrical biggies for the primetime sweep periods. Scheduling only one movie slot in primetime this season, NBC found itself with movies that needed to find air time because their license terms are up soon.
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