As the NFL season approaches, billions of TV ad revenue are at stake. Last year, the league generated $3.3 billion in regular season ad revenue and $1.3 billion in the postseason.
The NBA, NHL and MLB combined for $2 billion in national TV ad revenue last year. There’s also another $1.7 billion in TV ad revenue tied to college football, which has already lost two Power 5 conference seasons.
Without both the NFL and NCAA football, marketers could be left without prime audiences for their advertisements. If the NFL is left as the lone football option this fall, however, it could be a bigger opportunity for marketers as the league generally draws more eyeballs than a college football game — the NFL accounted for 41 of the 50 top-rated television programs of any kind in 2019.
Network Ad Revenue Share From NFL:
Fox: 39%
CBS: 24%
NBC: 21%
ESPN: 17%
![Former NFL Coache Jon Gruden have a laugh while attending an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/USATSI_26781802_168422351_lowres-scaled-e1784132043881.jpg?quality=80&w=300)
