ESPN will be televising, hands-down, the most unattractive game on the playoff slate Saturday between the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans, two teams who'll be starting their backup quarterbacks.
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And, it's going to cost them, big time.
ESPN paid $100 million dollars for the broadcast rights to that game, and they can only make a reported $25 million airing it. The math is easy. ESPN stands to lose the outrageous sum of $75 million by broadcasting an NFL playoff game.
You see, playoff games are included in the broadcast deals of the other networks that televise NFL games (CBS, NBC, Fox), but they're not for ESPN. That's why they have to shell out such ludicrous money to be able to show the game. And given that the Texans-Raiders matchup is on a Saturday, coupled with each team's personnel issues, the potential to reel in viewers —- and make money —- just isn't there.
And ESPN is stuck with this arrangement for years. Under the current contract, which runs until 2021, ESPN can broadcast one wild card game per season. If the network suffers similar losses over the course of its contract, it could lose a staggering $600 million.
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Hard to figure, eh? What's worse is the game will also shown on ABC, allowing viewers who don't even have a cable subscription to watch the game.
And you thought the Texans deal with Brock Osweiler, guaranteeing him $37 million, was the worst in NFL history.
