General

Goodell, NFL Execs Taking Pay Cut

UPDATED April 29, 2020 | 10:25 pm

The NFL became the latest league to face massive pay cuts
NFL also announced a new three-year exclusive streaming deal with Amazon around Thursday Night Football

Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell voluntarily reduced his salary to zero last month. According to a memo obtained by ESPN, league executives and managers making more than $100,000 will take a pay cut from 5-15% starting in May. Salaries less than $100,000 won’t be affected, and no salary above $100,000 will dip below that amount as a result, according to the memo. The league also plans to furlough a limited portion of workers.

The NFL’s pay cut falls in line with what other major stick and ball leagues have done:

The NBA reduced the salaries of top executives by 20%
The NHL reduced the salaries of top executives by up to 25%
MLS headquarters employees saw pay cuts up to 25%
MLB cut the salaries of senior executives an average of 35%

In other NFL news, Amazon has renewed its streaming partnership with the league, signing a new three-year deal to keep airing Thursday night games on its digital platforms. As part of the deal, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch will stream the 11 Thursday Night Football games, which will also continue to be broadcast on Fox and Fox Deportes and simulcast on NFL Network.

In a new wrinkle to the deal, Amazon will also exclusively stream one regular-season game globally, which will be a to-be-determined game played on a Saturday in the second half of the 2020 NFL regular season. That game will also be televised in the participating team’s home markets on over-the-air television.