In a recent court testimony, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted that he was not pleased with the broadcast quality of NFL Network's coverage, specifically referring to the Thursday Night Football games. Goodell stated that he believed the production standards set by CBS and FOX were not met by the league's media arm.

Goodell's remarks came during a legal battle in Federal Court, where the NFL is defending itself against a lawsuit filed by Sunday Ticket subscribers. The plaintiffs allege that the league violated antitrust laws by selling the Sunday Ticket package at an inflated cost. The NFL argues that it has the right to sell Sunday Ticket under its broadcasting antitrust exemption, while the plaintiffs claim that this exemption only applies to over-the-air broadcasts, not pay TV.

If found liable, the NFL could face a potential $7 billion in damages, underscoring the high stakes involved in the case. Amid this legal battle, Goodell's criticism of NFL Network's broadcasts surfaced, highlighting the dissatisfaction with the media arm's coverage.

NFL Network held the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football from 2006 to 2013. However, due to concerns about production quality, the league decided to change its approach and partnered with CBS and NBC until 2017, after which FOX took over the broadcast rights until 2021.

It appears that Goodell's concerns about NFL Network's broadcasts were valid. While the network had notable personalities such as Bryant Gumbel, Cris Collinsworth, and Dick Vermeil on its broadcast team during its early years, there were criticisms surrounding Gumbel's lack of expertise and knowledge about the game, leading him to step down after just two years.

Following the transition away from NFL Network's exclusive coverage, Thursday Night Football games are now available on Amazon Prime Video since 2022. Despite occasional streaming service hiccups and slight delays, the overall production quality of the telecasts has been praised.

As the legal battle continues, the NFL finds itself defending not only its broadcasting practices but also facing scrutiny over the quality of its network's coverage. Goodell's remarks have shed light on the league's acknowledgement of previous shortcomings and its subsequent efforts to improve the viewing experience for fans.

It remains to be seen how the court will rule in the ongoing lawsuit, which could have significant implications for the NFL's broadcasting practices and potential financial liabilities. Whether changes will be made to NFL Network's coverage in response to Goodell's criticism is yet to be determined.