Screentime
Disney Aims for Younger, Female Viewer With NFL on Freeform
- Separately, Nickelodeon plans to air a playoff game for kids
- NFL broadcast rights begin to expire after next season
Photographer: Richard Sheinwald/Getty Images
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Walt Disney Co. is airing an NFL wild-card game in January on five of its TV networks, including its female-focused Freeform channel, as part of an effort to broaden football viewership.
For several years, the entertainment giant has simulcast postseason matchups on both its ESPN cable network and its ABC broadcast channel. This time it’s going further by putting the game on Freeform, a channel formerly known as ABC Family that targets younger women. Disney also plans a unique broadcast of the game on ESPN2.