NFL, DirecTV sign reported $12B, 8-year deal

If you like watching Andrew Siciliano every Sunday, we have good news. (USATSI)

With the NFL's contract with DirecTV set to expire after this season, it was thought a new contract between the two that gives the satellite company exclusive rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket could rise from $1 billion per year under the old contract to $1.4 billion per year in a new deal.

Try a little higher than that.

The NFL announced Wednesday that the league and DirecTV have reached an agreement on a new deal that, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell, is worth $1.5 billion per year for the next eight years.

That means the latest contract is worth $8 billion more to the NFL (over four additional years) than its last deal with DirecTV.

The league also retains DirecTV's rights to stream the Sunday Ticket on mobile devices and online. The satellite company will continue to broadcast the Red Zone Channel and the Fantasy Zone channel, which debuted for the 2014 season.

"We are pleased to continue our partnership with DirecTV," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. "DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket have served our fans well for 20 years and continue to complement our broadcast television packages."

Said DirecTV chairman, president and CEO Mike White: "This new agreement is a testament to the terrific long-term relationship we have with the NFL and its millions of fans across the country. NFL Sunday Ticket has always been the centerpiece of DirecTV's sports leadership and we're pleased to continue our relationship with the NFL and be a part of the league's future growth and success.”

CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN all signed new deals with the NFL in 2011 and, with the exception of ESPN's $1.9 billion-per-year deal to broadcast Monday Night Football, the other three networks pay about $1 billion per year.

NFL Hot News

Texans RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson miss Wednesday's practice



After spending most of the past couple of weeks limited in practice, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson took a step back Wednesday. Perhaps it was a step with a bit of a limp. Both players missed the day's entire session. Foster has been nagged by a hamstring injury for the better part of two months and was sidelined in Week 3. He played Sunday against Buffalo but admittedly wasn't 100 percent and rushed for just 6 yards on eight carries.Johnson left that Week 4 win in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. However, he said after the game that he was "fine."



Before we sound the alarm over one missed practice, know that the Texans listed 12 players as "DNP" today, including stud defensive end J.J. Watt due to a thigh injury, but his status for Week 5 is thought to be in absolutely no danger. Perhaps neither is Foster's or Johnson's. We'll know more tomorrow. The vague information surrounding Johnson's ankle injury concerns me a little bit, especially after he said he heard a "pop" in the ankle.The good news for Foster is that he got out of Week 4 with further aggravating his hamstring strain, and he still played a lot of snaps and got 15 touches. He looked good in the open field with his seven receptions but was very sluggish and tentative when running in between the tackles.Still, if I own either of these players, I'm kind of waiting for one big game to increase their trade value. I think these frustrating injury concerns will continue for the full duration.