NEW YORK -- ABC affiliates said they are not close to reaching an agreement about contributing money or ad avails to help the network pay for its expensive NFL contract.
"We're a long way from a deal," said an executive from a major ABC affiliate.
ABC informed its affiliates at the recent NATPE convention that the network will ask stations to kick in some type of funds to offset its $550 million-a-year NFL deal.
On Monday, David Barrett, chairman of the ABC affiliate board and executive VP of Hearst-Argyle Broadcasting, sent a memo to all of the network's affiliates reiterating ABC's request that the network hoped to receive $50 million a year in cash and/or ad inventory from its non-owned affiliates.
"We're confident that at the end of the day, our affiliates will step up with significant financial support for this strategically important franchise," said Preston Padden, president, ABC Television Network.
However, serious negotiations between ABC and its stations have not yet gotten under way. Several affiliates said the issue probably won't be wrapped up for some time.
In contrast, Fox is meeting with its affiliates on Feb. 13 and the issue should be resolved by the end of the month.
ABC has not yet made it clear to affiliates whether the network will push for cash or advertising avails.
CBS and Fox are also negotiating with their affiliates to get financial support to cover their high NFL bills, but they are in a somewhat different situation than ABC.
CBS lost football four years ago when it was outbid by Fox, and Eye web affiliates are overjoyed to get it back. Fox affiliates contributed ad avails to the network for the NFL deal that just expired.
ABC stations are not accustomed to paying their network. Affiliates said that cash was extremely unlikely.
"Cash would be the least likely," said Alan Bell, president of Freedom Communications, which has two ABC stations and is in the process of buying a third. "Time isn't so easy to give up either."
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