NFL Countdown: 1939 revolutionized the football viewing experience for fans forever

Television money has been one of the keys to the NFL's fantastic success. Need convincing? Look no further than the $110 billion, ten-year rights deal the league agreed to with its broadcast partners in 2021.

It has been fundamental to the growth of the league. It ensured the NFL morphed into the worldwide entity it is today. If franchise revenues were based solely on spectator income and sponsorships, we would have a multi-tiered league. This means the rich would have gotten richer and the poor would have gotten trounced every season.

The beauty of the NFL, for most fans, is that it provides them with hope. Hope that, no matter how bad things appear, there is a chance for things to improve. Be that via the draft or through free agency, the structure of the league makes anything possible. It is television money we have to thank for that.

NFL takes its first step into a brave new world

Program from the first ever televised NFL game

On October 22, 1939, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Brooklyn Dodgers ran out onto Brooklyn's Ebbets Field in front of 13,000 paying spectators. This was something they had done countless times before. This time, however, it would be slightly different.

These Eagles and Dodgers players were about to be a part of a monumental occasion in history, if only they knew. It is believed that none of the players were aware that the game was being broadcast live to over one thousand TV sets in New York City on NBC.

New York City was chosen specifically for its proximity to the Empire State building, which had a TV transmitter on top, with a radius of about 50 miles. The commentator providing play-by-play that day was former Golden Gloves champion Allen "Skip" Walz. He was paid $25 for his work.

In an interview many years later, Allen would describe the day in great detail. He said:

"It was late in October on a cloudy day, and when the sun crept behind the stadium, there wasn't enough light for the cameras. The picture would get darker and darker, and eventually it would be completely blank, and we'd revert to a radio broadcast. The people would stay with us, though.

"It was surprising what a fine, loyal audience we had. People would gather in homes to watch the games, and there were a lot of people who would tell us how to do things better after the broadcasts."

He went on to explain how things worked from a logistical standpoint:

"We used two iconoscope cameras. I'd sit with my chin on the rail in the mezzanine, and the camera would be over my shoulder. I did my own spotting, and when the play moved up and down the field, on punts and kickoffs, I'd point to tell the cameraman what I'd be talking about, and we used hand signals to communicate.

"The other camera was on the field, at the 50-yard line, but it couldn't move so we didn't use it much."

The game itself was a Week 7 match-up. There was not too much on the line, as both teams had experienced poor seasons that year. Just three weeks earlier, the Eagles and Dodgers had played out a laborious 0-0 tie. Understandably, there were a few nervous TV executives hoping there would be no repeat.

Brooklyn would emerge with a comfortable 23-14 win as they improved their record to 3-2-1. The Eagles remained winless at 0-5-1. But the result was irrelevant. The broadcast had been a success. That was what was most important. The decision was made to screen the remaining Dodgers games that season. The NFL TV revolution was officially underway.

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