AFL on NBC
| AFL on NBC | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180 minutes or until end of game |
| Production company(s) | NBC Sports |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV), 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | 2003 – 2006 |
The AFL on NBC is the branding used for broadcasts of Arena Football League (AFL) games produced by NBC Sports, the sports division of the NBC television network in the United States, that aired from the 2003 to 2006 seasons.
Jim Foster, a promotions manager with the National Football League (NFL), conceived the idea of indoor football while watching an indoor association football match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. While at the game, he wrote his idea on a 9x12 envelope from his briefcase with sketches of the field and notes on gameplay. He presented the idea to a few friends at the NFL offices, where he received praise and encouragement for his concept. After solidifying the rules and business plan, supplemented with sketches by a professional artist, Foster presented his idea to various television networks; he reached an agreement with NBC for a "test game".
In 1998, CBS assumed the broadcast rights to the American Football Conference (AFC) rights from NBC, ending the network's 38-year tenure with the NFL (a relationship it would forge again in 2006 when it acquired the rights to the Sunday Night Football package from ESPN). CBS had previously lost the television rights to the National Football Conference (NFC) to Fox in 1994, a situation that exacerbated CBS' struggles in the ratings. In 2000, NBC declined to renew its broadcast agreement with Major League Baseball. In 2002, it was additionally outbid by ESPN and ABC for the NBA's next broadcast deal, ending the league's twelve-year run on NBC.
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