Pre-season and post-season programming tied to one of the National Football League’s most successful franchises will continue to be seen on CBS Corp.’s longtime TV O&O in Boston.
In a Thursday evening announcement aired live from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., New England Patriots Chairman/CEO Robert Kraft confirmed that WBZ-4 has renewed its exclusive programming right agreement with the tea and his Kraft Sports Productions.
The agreement also gives WBZ-TV rights to Patriots All Access, Patriots GameDay and 5th Quarter through the 2022-23 season.
WBZ President/GM Mark Lund was thrilled over the deal extension, noting that the 2017 pre-season telecasts “have garnered more viewers than the average regular season audiences for the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins combined.”
Patriots VP/Sales Murray Kohl added, “WBZ has been a tremendous broadcast partner for the Patriots for the past 10 years. Their coverage of the team, both on and off the field, and their features on our players have brought Patriots fans closer to the team for the past decade. We are happy to extend our relationship through the 2022 season and look forward to their Patriots coverage for years to come.”
Patriots All Access gives fans a behind-the-scenes pass to the sidelines and locker room along with in-depth stories on Patriots players and personnel and is hosted by WBZ-TV Sports Director Steve Burton. It airs Fridays at 7pm; an encore presentation appears Sundays at 9am on CBS’s co-owned WSBK-38 in Boston.
Also hosted by Burton is the half-hour pre-game program Patriots GameDay. It airs on Sundays at 11:30 am.
Meanwhile, 5th Quarter includes post-game interviews and commentary from Coach Bill Belichick, Quarterback Tom Brady and key game players.
