Most of NFL Revenues Come From TV, Radio

The NFL last year was a $1.4-billion business that took in nearly twice as much money from television and radio as it did selling tickets to fans, according to financial statements released Monday.

The statements were submitted as evidence in the antitrust lawsuit against the league in Minneapolis.

The 28 NFL teams made $850 million, or nearly two-thirds of their income, from radio and television, according to the league’s preliminary 1991 financial statement. NFL teams made $402 million selling tickets.

Lawyers for the players introduced the financial data to support their argument that the league is highly profitable, and that teams earn most of their money from network television contracts signed before the season begins--not from winning football games.