The Facts:
The NFL's "Monday Night Football," a staple on ABC for the past 35 seasons, will move to ESPN starting with the 2006 season. NBC is returning to the NFL after six years away by taking the Sunday night broadcast previously on ESPN. The Monday night move from network TV to basic cable was confirmed Monday by two sources familiar with the deals who spoke to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity. The sources said the league is expected to get $1.1 billion over eight years from the network.
Reported by the Associated Press
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
The moves leave ABC -- which originated "Monday Night Football" in 1970 -- as the only major network without NFL football. CBS and Fox already have agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years for the Sunday AFC and NFC rights. The NFL is still considering separate packages for Thursday and late-season Saturday nights.
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