ESPN Classic Tackles Rights for 'Friday Night Lights'

NBC's football-themed drama series Friday Night Lights will touch down on ESPN Classic later this month just as the series ends its five-season run on the broadcast network.

The series, which follows the lives of the players and coach of a competitive Texas high school football team, will launch on ESPN Classic July 14 with a marathon of the first season of the series. Friday Night Lights epsiodes will then air every Thursday night at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Classic, said network officials.

ESPN will air the first two episodes of the show's inaugural season in primetime on July 12, according to the sports network.

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R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.