Nexstar grabs 'Inside the NFL' for CW Network

It is the first time the weekly football wrap-up show will air on a broadcast network in its 45-year run.

It is the first time the weekly football wrap-up show will air on a broadcast network in its 45-year run.

The National Football League has struck a deal with Nexstar Media Group to bring its long-running weekly recap program "Inside the NFL" to the CW Network.

The show will debut on the network on September 5, and will mark the first time that a broadcast network has aired the program.

"We are excited to partner with NFL Films and welcome Inside the NFL to the CW Sports family," Dennis Miller, the president of the CW Network, said in a statement. "For almost five decades, Inside the NFL has been an industry leader in showcasing can't-miss weekly highlights, unprecedented behind-the-scenes content, exclusive access to players and lively discussion. By combining this premiere NFL content with our robust broadcast audience, we look forward to bringing this legendary sports series to more fans than ever before and to advertisers for the first time."

Inside the NFL debuted on HBO in the 1970s, where it ran for several decades before moving to Showtime in 2008. Paramount Global transferred the program from its multiplex movie network to streaming service Paramount Plus in 2021, only to cancel the show earlier this year.

The NFL was adamant it was looking for a new media partner to bring Inside the NFL to football fans for years to come. The deal with the CW Network means the program will likely include commercial interruptions for the first time, and the production will almost certainly change to accommodate this.

"Generations of football fans have grown up watching Inside the NFL," Ross Ketover, the senior executive of NFL Films, said on Wednesday. "It is a show we cherish at NFL Films and we are thrilled to bring it to a great new partner in The CW. This is a special opportunity to reimagine and reboot Inside the NFL for a wider audience and a new generation of fans. We can't wait to get started."

It is the second sports-related deal to come together at the CW Network since Nexstar acquired a 75 percent controlling stake in the broadcaster last year. It later announced the launch of the CW Sports division with a focus on clinching lucrative sports-related programming, and quickly signed a deal with startup pro golf franchise LIV Golf for domestic telecast rights to their tournaments.