One week after CBS televised Super Bowl LIII, it will televise the debut of the Alliance of American Football, the first of a flurry of new football leagues, all of which hope to be fueled by the ongoing expansion of legalized wagering.
When the AAF launches on Saturday, February 9, CBS will televise a pair of regional games in the same time slot, with Spero Dedes, Trent Green, and Tiki Barber handling the San Diego-San Antonio contest and Andrew Catalon and Gary Danielson working Atlanta-Orlando. Jamie Erdahl and Melanie Collins will report from the sidelines, respectively.
CBS Sports Network will televise a Sunday game every week, with Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, and John Schriffen handling the call.
While none of these teams rise to the level of Nantz and Romo, the Saturday squads consist of folks with NFL chops, and Archuleta has worked plenty of NFL games, too. The assignments will give the games a boost of legitimacy, which could help get some viewers to tune in out of curiosity. Ultimately, however, the quality of the games -- and/or the interest in betting on them -- is the thing that will determine whether or not the league succeeds, especially with the XFL looming in 2020.
