Friday Night Lights gets a two-season, 26-episode renewal

In a major victory for fans, the ensemble drama Friday Night Lights has been renewed for fourth and fifth 13-episode seasons in a joint agreement between NBC and DirecTV.

DirecTV came on board last year and paid a fee to help finance the third season of the show in return for exclusive first-air rights, with new episodes premiered for DirecTV subscribers only and then aired later in the season on NBC. Although a longtime critical favorite, the show has never developed into a crossover hit, and the abridged cable model better suits its following. The deal underscores how the television landscape continues to evolve into a more dynamic business with the rise of non-network original programming and new ways for series to reach audiences.

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