Major TV Deal Between the AFL and ABC...

The Football History Headline of the day comes from the Standard-Speaker in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which on June 10, 1960, had a big, bold headline in the sports section that read:

American Football League Closes Five-Year Football Deal

June 9, 1960 - Television network ABC and the fledgling AFL signed a 5-year contract for the rights to broadcast 37 regular-season league games, as well as the playoff championship and the AFL All-Star Game. The contract was worth $10,625,000 over the 5 years, giving the new league just about $2 million that they used in an almost unheard-of revenue-sharing platform each season.  That meant that each franchise, after paying agent fees and other expenses, would have a cushion of $225,000 to start each season.

This is believed to be the first professional television contract ever signed, and it paved the way for pro football to have a new lucrative revenue stream from TV.

For more on the story of the formation of Pro Football Broadcast deals with the AFL please check out: Remember the AFL.