starting with the original six stations, fts gained the bulk of its group through two large transactions: the 1997 purchase of new world communications, succeeding a 1994 business deal between the two companies which led to all of new world's stations switching from other networks to fox during 1994–95; and the 2000 acquisition of the chris-craft/united group, which gave fox ownership of several stations then affiliated with the upn network, and also created several duopolies (two stations in the same market owned by the same company). a significant factor that resulted in fox's affiliation with, and later purchase of, new world communications was fox acquiring tv rights to the national football league (nfl), primarily covering games involving teams in the national football conference (nfc).