ESPN Will Lose $75 Million Televising Raiders-Texans Wild Card Game

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And here's the kicker, the game is also simulcast for free on ABC. So you don't even need a cable package to watch this game. That is, ESPN derives no benefit whatsoever from airing this game exclusively on cable. At least with other television properties it has overpaid for, like the college football playoff, the NBA and the major bowl games, ESPN can point out that the only way you can watch these games is with a satellite or cable subscription.

In theory that ensures that ESPN remains on the primary tier for cable and satellite companies.

But not with this game.

Even if you don't have ESPN, you can watch the game on ABC.

Think that's bad? It gets worse.

The NFL assigns ESPN the worst wild card game in the worst time slot on the worst day possible and then decides whether or not it wants to take the $100 million each year. That is, ESPN doesn't even get to choose whether it wants to air the game or not. The NFL just says, "You're airing it, give us $100 million."

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