Pact reportedly pays $17M

CBS Sports said it has re-signed its top NFL analyst Tony Romo.

The  new pact will pay Romo a record $17 million, according to a report from the New York Post.

CBS Sports parent company ViacomCBS is under pressure to retain the NFL when the powerful league does its next round of rights deals.

The round of rights deals could include more bidders, including streaming services. ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish has said that the NFL values the reach of broadcasters like CBS and the production values that CBS has demonstrated over the years.

CBS made Romo the analyst on its No. 1 broadcast team immediately after he retired as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. The risky move paid off as Romo became a fan favorite, frequently accurately predicting what would happen on the field.

Romo’s success made him attractive to competitors and The Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN, was reportedly interested in bidding for Romo in March when he could have become a TV free agent. Disney is considering whether to expand its relationship with the NFL, either by returning games to ABC or getting more games for ESPN.