Technically, the NFL owns the rights to every NFL game. It sells rights to broadcast those games to the highest bidder. Pete Rozelle basically blackmailed ABC into signing a contract for Monday...
Monday Night Football started in 1970.
Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle (3/1/1926 - 12/6/1996).
Roone Alredge.
dennis miller of SNL fame is the only one hired to do commentary who became famous as a comedian