After more than 20 years, NFL Network's Total Access shuts down
NFL Network's Total Access shuts down after more than 20 years
Total Access is no more.
The flagship studio show, a weeknight staple on NFL Network since its inception, has concluded its run. The final episode aired tonight.
Questions first arose when the show vanished from the schedule for a full week earlier this year. More recently, reports surfaced following a recent round of layoffs that the show was being shut down.
At one time, it would have been unthinkable. Total Access was synonymous with NFL Network. However, as the media landscape evolved, the need for a nightly studio show decreased significantly. Additionally, the show was never quite the same after Rich Eisen's departure.
The closure of Total Access coincides with Good Morning Football being two months into an unusual hiatus, driven by the even more unusual decision to move the show from New York to Los Angeles.
These cost-cutting measures are occurring amid the league's ongoing effort to offload NFL Network, presumably to ESPN. The network never became what the league envisioned, and its most valuable asset�live regular-season games�could be sold to the highest bidder, likely generating more profit for the league than the network does by keeping the games.
It remains unclear why ESPN would want NFL Network. The most plausible reason could be to strengthen its relationship with the league, ensuring that ESPN continues to have a broadcast package when the next round of bidding happens, likely in time for the 2030 season. Having the league acquire equity in ESPN as part of that deal would support this possibility.
Regardless of whether future developments will push NFL Network forward, it is currently taking several noticeable steps back. The human toll from the network's downsizing is, frankly, a bad look for a wildly popular and financially successful sports league.
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| POLL | ||
19 MAI | 47 ANSWERS After more than 20 years, NFL Network's Total Access shuts down Do you think the closure of Total Access will impact your viewership of NFL Network? | ||
| Yes | 14 | 29.8 % |
| No | 33 | 70.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
