CBS was in sports limbo without the NFL in 1994–97. It destroyed the sports sector and dropped CBS from first to third in prime-time ratings and large city affiliate swaps. CBS Sports' 1997–2008 Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti stated he and McManus talked about getting the NFL back every day in their first year.
They trusted him as a newcomer. Sean's ability to push CBS leaders to make the agreement was key, he said. CBS won the 1998 bid for $500 million annually. Its contract continues through 2033 at $2.1 billion per season. CBS regained prime-time dominance with NFL programming promotion.
“It’s almost impossible, probably insurmountable, to have a broadcast network without the NFL,” McManus said. “It drives all distribution deals. A promotional vehicle. Very large. I think the broadcast business today depends on sports, especially the NFL.”
McManus managed nine Super Bowls, including Kansas City's February 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco. The game averaged 123.7 million viewers across broadcast and digital platforms, making it the most-watched U.S. program.
Roger Goodell, a key part of the NFL's television agreement bargaining team before becoming commissioner in 2006, said McManus has long been a trusted broadcasting advisor, even when it didn't directly effect CBS. “You need to improve fans’ experiences, and Sean has that voice and experience,” Goodell added. “He always had an honest and insightful perspective, so his advice was valuable.”
McManus partnered with Turner for March Madness because CBS was losing money and partitioning the country into eight areas without everyone having access to all games was obsolete.
Since the 2011 tournament, CBS and Turner's sales staffs have worked together, and Clark Kellogg shares the studio desk alongside Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The network will alternate Final Four coverage as part of the deal. In 2016, TBS and TNT broadcast the title game for the first time. Each network will average $550 million through 2032 starting next year.
McManus brought CBS into soccer with the Champions League and NWSL. The NWSL inked a broad rights deal to distribute its games across several networks, but CBS will air a combination of regular-season games and the championship game in prime time for the third year.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said, “They saw us as the future of the sports audience, and because of that, they stretched the boundaries of the agreement with us. When I got the position, I pushed them about having our championship in prime time and how it would change us. The last two years of the deal were spent making it happen.
McManus leaves CBS with essential assets secured. With the NFL and March Madness, the NWSL runs until 2027, the Big Ten and UEFA Champions League through 2029-30, and the PGA Tour and PGA Championship through 2030.
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