USFL Season Opener To Be Simulcast On Fox And NBC In Rare Double-Team

deadline.com:

The season opener of the new United States Football League on Saturday, April 16 will be simulcast on NBC and Fox, the networks said Tuesday, a rare occurrence in the world of sports TV.The eight-team spring pro league’s inaugural game will pit the New Jersey Generals against the Birmingham Stallions, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

ET at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL, where all the league’s games will be played, the league said today. NBC Sports will handle pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage while Fox Sports will produce the in-game coverage.

All will be carried by both networks, and the same ads will run during the telecast on both outlets.“The first game played in any new league is itself historical and having the USFL’s inaugural game simulcast by NBC and Fox makes it even more so,” Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks said. “It’s rare when two competitors can come together and see how cooperation can lead to long-term benefit, and it wouldn’t be possible without having terrific relationships with Pete, Jon Miller, and so many others at NBC Sports.”“Having two broadcast networks combine and start something like the USFL is not only unique but represents our commitment to making spring football succeed,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports. “We’re excited about the opportunity, and we appreciate the partnership and cooperation that we’ve had with Eric and his team at Fox Sports.”NBC Sports and Fox Sports each have multi-year agreements with the league as official broadcast partners, with Fox Sports controlling the league via USFL HoldCo, LLC.

As part of the rights deal, over the course of the first season NBC Sports will air 22 games (nine each on NBC and USA Network, and four on Peacock) as