20 years after its original run ended NFL Primetime still holds a special place in the hearts of many football fans. The iconic show starring Chris Berman aired on Sunday nights from 1987-2005, recapping the day’s NFL games in an era where fans didn’t have immediate access to highlights at their fingertips.
But in 2006, NBC secured the rights to Sunday Night Football from ESPN, and the Worldwide Leader was not-so-subtly told it was time to end Primetime.
In a recent interview on SI Media with Jimmy Traina, Berman revealed some off-the-record comments that NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol had given him at the time.
“Are you still pissed that the NFL and NBC killed Primetime?” Traina asked.
“Pissed? I mean if I’m pissed, jeez get over it. Am I still pissed the Hartford Whalers are the Carolina Hurricanes? Sure, I’m pissed!” Berman joked. “Look, it’s a pretty good show. I’ve loved doing it. I think that people loved it…I like to think, in a small way, maybe we helped grow the sport, and that’s part of why I’m so attached to it. Am I pissed? I mean that ship’s sailed a long time ago.”
“So you’re over it a little bit more now than five years ago?” Traina suggested.
“Oh god, I’m over it. That was 2006 when my very good friend…Dick Ebersol quietly said to me, ‘Chris, we’re going to have a pregame show, it’s not going to be like Primetime.‘ He didn’t have to tell me any of it, but he and I remain great. ‘I can’t have you on opposite us, we need people to watch us.’ Okay, that’s an off-the-record comment, I can now say these things that I’m 70, right?”
To hear that Ebersol was so candid with Berman is interesting. Of course, Berman could’ve presumed that was the reason Primetime was getting taken off the air. After all, the show had built up a loyal audience over the years, and it would’ve been difficult for NBC’s Football Night in America to take off in direct competition with it. But that frankness isn’t always common in the entertainment industry.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason Chris Berman and Dick Ebersol remain close to this day.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.