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December 2, 2008 8:40:23 PM CST

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Is Brady's Injury a Financial Disaster?

Posted Sep 13, 08 3:00 PM CDT in Sports 

(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.

“Without a doubt, less people will be watching,” says ex-CBS Sports executive Rick Gentile. Brett Favre’s move to the Jets could smooth things over for CBS, because New York’s market is far bigger than Boston's. But Gentile adds that “you’re kind of screwed if you’re NBC or ESPN,” which have scheduled national broadcasts of Patriots games.

Source Newsweek

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Tom Brady is helped off the field by medical personnel after he was hit during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 7, 2008.   (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
In this Feb. 3, 208 file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is shown on the field during the Super Bowl XLII football game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.   (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady rubs his head after taking off his helmet as Patriots running back Heath Evans, left, looks on in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo)
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In short, Tom Brady is money. He makes lots of it, and generates much more of it for the NFL. - Matthew Philips

You're kind of screwed if you're NBC or ESPN sitting on a national broadcast. If the ratings are mediocre without Brady,
then you're going to get hurt. - Rick Gentile, ex-CBS sports executive

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NFL • television • NBC • New England Patriots • CBS • Tom Brady • TV ratings • ESPN


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