Brent Musburger couldn’t have imagined the NFL’s popularity being what it is today nearly 50 years ago.
“No, Matt, I could not have,” he told Matt Ryan during CBS’s NFL Today 50th anniversary celebration. “It’s the No. 1 entertainment in this country, and it’s not close. It is not close, OK? If you look at the highest-rated shows on television at the end of the year, the Super Bowl is always one, but there are other games that are always up there. And already, we’ve seen massive ratings. People like the escape, that’s why they go. It’s great entertainment.”
— Vid Clip Hero (@VidClipHero) September 22, 2025
The legendary broadcaster, who helped create the modern sports pregame show when The NFL Today launched in 1975, returned to CBS on Sunday for a 50th anniversary throwback celebration. But it was during a separate appearance on The NFL Today+ where Musburger offered his thoughts on how the NFL’s dominance has transformed sports media.
“This is where the advertiser wants to be, involved with the National Football League,” Musburger explained. “And so you get the offshoot of that is all the talk shows. I think it’s for the better. We just have more opinions. I think the more voices you get, the better off.”
Back when Musburger first delivered his famous “You are looking live” openings, maybe a handful of shows focused on football analysis. Today, there are dozens, including but not limited to traditional networks, streaming platforms, podcasts, and social media channels, all chasing NFL content. And the numbers seem to justify the investment. NBC’s opening weekend drew massive ratings, which explains why everyone from ESPN’s debate shows to YouTube film breakdown channels continues to expand their football coverage.
Sunday’s anniversary celebration proved his point about entertainment value.
CBS went all out, transforming its studio into a 1970s time capsule complete with Jim Nantz paying tribute to Musburger by opening the Vikings-Bengals game with “You are looking live at U.S. Bank Stadium,” retro graphics, and throwback blazers. The entire production was a hit, as viewers appreciated the authentic throwback.
But Musburger isn’t here to dwell on the past. He’s focused on where NFL media is headed, not where it has been.
Coming from the guy who pioneered the format, that matters. Musburger isn’t complaining about all these new shows and voices taking over. He thinks it’s great that more people are talking about football year-round.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.