NFL Owners Vote Down TV Rebate
The NFL, in a special meeting at Dallas Wednesday, tried and failed again to muster the votes of the 21 club owners needed to give the television networks the $238-million rebate they sought in their $1.1-billion 1993 contract.
The refund plan, which would have required each owner to give up about $8 million next year, was blocked by a faction of 10 clubs, including the Raiders and Rams.
Instead, the NFL agreed to abandon plans for an 18-week television season next year. It will now be a 17-week season, with one bye during the schedule for each club.
The change will cost each owner $1 million, reducing his television income in 1993 from $41 million to $40 million.
Since the NFL’s annual convention at Phoenix last month, rebate proponents, including Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, have tried to persuade the required 21 owners to go along with an idea reducing their 1993 TV revenues in exchange for a two-year contract extension for 1994-95.
Most of those who objected have already committed most of their promised $41 million from TV.
Tagliabue said he will still try to get the job done later this year.
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