MNF Sets Cable Ratings Record

CBS execs expect to lose millions, but hope Favre will draw viewers

(NEWSER) - Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury may have crippled the New England Patriots, but what will it cost in dollars and cents? As the NFL’s marquee player, Tom Brady is a money-making machine—yet executives at CBS, which pays $622 million for the AFC package, won't say how many millions his torn ACL will cost them. "You can't really quantify it," one tells Newsweek. More»

Tennessee upsets the Steelers' shot at top playoff berth

(NEWSER) - In NFL games today, New York Jets likely blew their playoff chances in a snowy loss to Seattle, while Tennessee clinched home-field advantage, AP reports:

• Seattle coach Mike Holmgren topped his former star player Brett Favre as the Jets missed several scoring chances and lost their bid to stay atop the AFC East, 13-3.
• The lowly Bills upended Denver, 30-23, as the Broncos failed to clinch a playoff berth.
• Tennessee routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-14 to clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the playoffs.
• With a 42-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Detroit Lions became the first team ever to go 0-15.

Tennessee loses for the first time this season

(NEWSER) - In NFL action, it was an exciting day for the AFC East’s No. 1 and 2, the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, the AP reports:

• Brett Favre threw two TDs and the Jets took down the Tennessee Titans 34-13, breaking their 13-game winning streak. The Jets have won five straight for the first time in more than 4 years.
• The New York Giants held off the late-surging Arizona Cardinals for a 37-29 victory, improving to 10-1. Eli Manning made 26 of 33 passes for 240 yards and no INTs, USA Today reports.

Average team worth over $1B

(NEWSER) - The NFL is the richest pro sports league in the world, with the average value of each franchise topping $1 billion, reports Bloomberg. The combined value of the league jumped 7% from last year and has more than tripled since Forbes began ranking the teams 10 years ago. The jump is primarily attributed to new stadiums and increased sponsorship deals. The Dallas Cowboys remain at the top of the list, with a value of $1.61 billion. More»

Partnership could give cable sports power 8 games, save face for league

(NEWSER) - Having lost a game of chicken with the nation’s cable operators, the National Football League is in talks with ESPN to carry prime-time games that were unavailable to most American households last season, the Wall Street Journal reports. The NFL’s channel, charging lucrative fees, is available in only 40 million homes; major cable companies refused to carry it on the league’s terms. More»