CBS won a bidding war to air eight Thursday night National Football League games during the 2014 season, giving CBS one of TV's most highly prized programs on the night generally most coveted by advertisers.
CBS and the NFL announced the deal on Wednesday.
CBS, which competed against the NBC and Fox networks, ESPN and Turner Broadcasting System, had been considered a long shot at the outset of the bidding because of its strong Thursday night lineup, which includes TV's leading comedy "The Big Bang Theory," and ratings mainstay "Two and A Half Men."
The games will be telecast early in the coming season and will be aired simultaneously on the league-owned NFL Network.
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