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News briefs: Comcast fed up with NFL Network encouraging switch


Nov. 20, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports


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NEW YORK -- Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the NFL Network demanding the channel's representatives stop encouraging fans to leave the cable provider.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the outspoken chairman of the league's NFL Network committee, has urged customers of Comcast and other large cable providers who don't carry the network on a basic tier to switch to satellite or other cable services that do.

The channel's iwantnflnetwork.com Web site includes a box titled "MAKE THE SWITCH." Above a field to enter a zip code, the text reads, "Switch to a TV provider that will bring you NFL Network, not hold you hostage."

The letter, dated Monday, contends that such actions violate the contract between the network and Comcast.

"The legal arguments are without merit, and Comcast subscribers who are dropping that service do not need encouragement from us," said NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky, who added that network executives had not yet received the letter.

The two sides have gone to court over their agreement. The NFL Network sued Comcast after the cable provider decided to move the channel from its basic digital tier to a premium sports tier that customers must pay extra to receive. Full story
Pryce likely done for season

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce has a severe pectoral tear and will probably be out for the remainder of the season.

"It's very likely that Trevor may be done for the year," coach Brian Billick said during his weekly radio show. "We're going to miss Trevor."

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Pryce missed five games earlier this season with a broken left wrist that required surgery.

The veteran returned to play three games, but injured his chest during the final minutes of Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Giants put Kiwanuka on IR

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was placed on injured reserve, two days after he broke his left leg against Detroit.

To fill Kiwanuka's roster spot, the Giants signed running back Patrick Pass, a member of three Super Bowl championship teams with the New England Patriots.

Kiwanuka, the team's top draft pick in 2006, was injured on the second play of Sunday's game when teammate Osi Umenyiora fell on him while they were pursuing running back Kevin Jones.

Reggie Torbor replaced Kiwanuka in the Giants' 16-10 win.
Nolan: Stay the course

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Mike Nolan thinks everything that's wrong with the San Francisco 49ers must be fixed by the people already in their training complex.

And the coach doesn't plan to expel any coaches from that complex, either.

A day after the 49ers' offense floundered yet again in a 13-9 loss to St. Louis, Nolan said he plans to make no changes to his coaching staff or roster in the wake of eight consecutive defeats. He will stick with the course he set out during training camp, when the 49ers (2-8) were a dark horse playoff pick instead of a downtrodden club with a historic losing streak.

"You're always looking for ways to get better, on the field or off the field," Nolan said. "The limitations of changing both players and coaches during a season ... it's very difficult to do during the season, because it's not like people are on the street that (don't) need to be on the street."
Crayton could miss Jets game

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton missed practice because of a sprained left ankle and may miss the Thanksgiving game against the New York Jets.

Crayton was hurt in the first quarter on Sunday against Washington, but didn't miss much time, still catching two passes and returning punts. His ankle was still sore Monday and bad enough Tuesday that he didn't work out, even though coach Wade Phillips described the practice as being not very strenuous.

"I'm worried that he may not be able to play," Phillips said. "With the game coming this quickly, it could be a problem. I think if this was a normal week, he probably would be fine. It's going to be kind of back-and-forth as to whether he'll be ready for Thursday."

Playing opposite Terrell Owens, in the role vacated by injured Terry Glenn, Crayton has caught 31 passes for 466 yards and five touchdowns this season. If he is inactive, second-year receiver Sam Hurd would take his place. Hurd has eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Niners hire assistant coach

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ted Tollner rejoined the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant coach in an effort to spark the club's miserable offense.

Tollner, the former USC and San Diego State coach, also is a longtime NFL assistant who served on the 49ers' coaching staff from 2002-04, with two years as quarterbacks coach and one season as offensive coordinator. He was the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator for part of the 2005 season.

"Ted has great experience with over 30 years in the NFL and in college coaching, and is well respected in the football community," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "He will be a tremendous asset to the 49ers organization. We will continue to make every effort to improve our team."

San Francisco's offense hasn't recovered since coordinator Norv Turner abruptly left the job in February to take over the San Diego Chargers. The 49ers hope the 67-year-old Tollner can help an offense that's at the bottom of the NFL in most statistical categories under first-year coordinator Jim Hostler.
Coleman, Lewis done for season

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons placed defensive tackles Rod Coleman and Trey Lewis on injured reserve, ending the season for both players.

Coach Bobby Petrino said the team was concerned that Coleman and Lewis might risk serious injury if they continued to play.

Coleman, a Pro Bowl selection two years ago who led NFL interior linemen with 52½ sacks from 2001-07, hurt his hand and triceps in Atlanta's 31-7 loss to Tampa Bay last week.

Lewis, a rookie drafted in the sixth round out of Washburn University, suffered a knee injury that will require surgery.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

I've got 2 choices for cable; Insight and Wide Open West - competition is good, as I got the NFL network and the Big 10 network right away because as soon as one got it, the other had to or risk losing subscribers.

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Comcast fed up with NFL Network encouraging switch

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Well then,, stop freakin complaining and give your customers the NFL Network.....

I can't see how it's wrong for Jerry Jones or anyone in the NFL saying, "if you want the NFL Network, you have to switch to XXXX" As long as Comcast and Time Warner are being jerks,, then too damn bad.. JMO

j/c

Both sides need to quit their whining and get something hammered out b/t them for the fans.

Also, I don't see anything wrong w/ Jerry saying that. How many Bud Light/Miller Lite commercials talk about their competitor by name? It's simple marketing. Comcast doesn't have a leg to stand on with this case...

JMHO

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It's not just TW and Comcast, the NFL is overcharging for the channel.

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I honestly don't really know what to believe.. All I know is this:

I had Adelphia Cable one day and I had the NFL Network.. The very next day, Time Warner took over and the NFLN was gone.. NO reduction in charges.. nothing.,., TWC took it away without warning.

Then the FCC stepped in and said,, HEY.. Time Warner,, you have to give a 30 Day notice before you changed the line up... So we then got NFLN back for 30 days,, and POOF,,, Gone again.

Does that sound like the NFL was over charging or does that sound like Time Warner wanted a reduction?

To me, it sounds as if TWC wanted a reduced price and the NFL said screw you..

In the end, it was ME that got screwed..

Now, in Ohio, there was a movement to get CHOICE... http://www.wewantchoiceohio.com/

Recently, the Gov of Ohio signed into law a House Bill that would open the doors to competition between TWC, Comcast and other providers.. Today, where I live, I have two choices,, TWC or one of the Dish suppliers...

I live in NE Ohio,, Each and Every one of my neighbors that have the Dish are out there in the winter cleaning off the dish just so they can see TV... if we are in a RAIN storm,, they are screwed.. DISH may work fine but it doesn't work ALL THE TIME.. and in bad weather,, it's not so good..

So I'm stuck with TWC and they can do whatever they want to me...

You know whatelse,, If the NFLN is charging more, then why hasn't TWC said to me and the other customers,, Hey,, for $XXXX more per month, we can provide the NFLN to you...

They have NOT offered it.. I'd probably pay it as long as it wasn't more than about 2 to 4 more bucks a month.. But I haven't even been offered that opportunity.

So I don't think the Cable companies are telling the whole truth about this supposed huge increase that NFLN will cost...

Too many things point to the Cable companies being greedy wanting to bundle the NFLN with other sports programming and charge for it.. which by the way is something the NFL has been fighting..

TO me,, the Cable providers are the bad guys in this mess..... you would be hard pressed to convince me otherwiise..

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You know whatelse,, If the NFLN is charging more, then why hasn't TWC said to me and the other customers,, Hey,, for $XXXX more per month, we can provide the NFLN to you...

They have NOT offered it.. I'd probably pay it as long as it wasn't more than about 2 to 4 more bucks a month.. But I haven't even been offered that opportunity.

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That's what they want to do, but the NFL won't let them. They want it part of basic cable so everyone has to pay even the ones that don't want the channel. Time Warner want's it on a sports package, you want it you pay $4 more per month and get NFLN with a bunch of cannels you really don't want line Tennis Network, NBA TV, Feul ect...

NFLN said no deal on that. They want it part of Basic like ESPN. That's it they won't budge from that stance.

Now I've had lengthy discussions with represenatives at TW about the NFLN. They told me that they don't want to charge the little old lady that doesn't watch football. I responded back with "But you have no problem charging me for: Lifetime, Hallmark, Oxygen, WE, and the Soap Network which I don't watch.

They told me they understand but all of those channels together are 70% less than NFLN.

You've had lengthy discussions with TWC,, but did they even bother to mention what the cost would be for the NFLN on a per customer basis?

They won't tell you will they? Don't feel bad, they wouldn't tell me either and I've had a lot of talks with them as well as email exchanges...

NFLN says they aren't asking any more for the channel than they were at the beginning.. I don't know if that's true or not. I do have my doubts..

But whatever it is,, I don't think the NFL is stupid enough to want so much that it would end up costing the consumer more than HBO or Showtime.. I can't see them being that stupid..

Again, I'm pretty sure that this is the Cable companies spinning it...

There is one thing I'm pretty sure of, sooner or later, I'll have the NFLN again... I may have to switch providers when that's available, but I'll have it I'm sure.

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I live in NE Ohio,, Each and Every one of my neighbors that have the Dish are out there in the winter cleaning off the dish just so they can see TV... if we are in a RAIN storm,, they are screwed.. DISH may work fine but it doesn't work ALL THE TIME.. and in bad weather,, it's not so good..

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I think this is a common misconception about the dish. I have only really had one problem with my dish getting snow on it. (Ppl gave me the great idea of spraying it with rain-x and it never happened again.) As for losing my signal in storms. It just doesn't happen. I have lost it for a few seconds but never for the amount of time some suggest. If your neighbors are really without the dish in bad storms than they probably don't have a very strong signal to begin with. It isn't the rain but they probably need someone to adjust their dish properly.

IMO Comcast is completely at fault here. It's actually been a big story in Illinois.

I'm in Chicago, where Comcast is "king" and they continue to try to squeeze money out of their customers while smaller companies like RCN Cable (who I have) have already added NFL Network, Big Ten Network and CSTV to their digital cable lineup free of charge. They also provide ESPN360 to customers with internet service, which is a phenomenal online channel for out of market games. I can't tell you how many times I've watched a nationally televised game in Chicago while also watching a regional game in some other part of the country on my 19'' LCD computer monitor. The quality is excellent and the sports lineup on ESPN360 is just superb.

IMO it's just another example of bad business. RCN (and other companies) are offering a better lineup for about 2/3 of the cost of Comcast. I'm surprised it hasn't been a bigger issue. I have friends in Chicago who are stuck in a Comcast contract paying 150.00 a month for digital cable, HBO and internet while I'm paying 98.00 a month through RCN for the same service (with HBO) and also getting ESPN360, NFL Network, Big Ten Network and CSTV free of charge. It's just silly.

Well until TWC and Comcast have competition in the majority of their markets, they have a monopoly.

j/c

For what it's worth, I've had Dish Network for just under 8 years and I have never lost a signal due to snow. I have gone perhaps 5-6 minutes without due to lightning/severe thunderstorms, but that's probably only happened twice.

Next (and yes, I heard this on Rush Limbaugh - but I don't think he'd go over the air with these numbers if they weren't right) The nfl wants nfln to be included with the basic cable. They want 60 cents per subscriber. The cable companies don't want to do that.

My personal opinion is IF the nfl gets what they want, we'll see the prices go up each year, and we'll see less and less football on the "regular broadcast" channels. I think the nfl is attempting to set themselves up with yet another cash cow.

The bigger problem for the cable companies is, too many people are blaming them, and not the nfl. The only way this gets rectified is if people complain directly to the nfl and call them on it. Probably wouldn't do a lot of good, but the nfl needs to be careful how many toes they step on. Right now, the nfl thinks it has the cable companies by the 'nads. It might turn out to bite the nfl in the 'nads.

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Recently, the Gov of Ohio signed into law a House Bill that would open the doors to competition between TWC, Comcast and other providers.. Today, where I live, I have two choices,, TWC or one of the Dish suppliers...

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There is no good way to have choice in cable on a large level. It is too expensive to build cable plant to serve half or less of the customers in an area. Big cities are easier, but it is still expensive. I have been out of building cable tv plant for quite some time now, but I don't believe they have come up with a way to actually lease from another provider.

They have done that in the phone market (I worked as an engineer for SBC) and it was not a very good solution. We were responsible for the entire plant while leasing telephone pairs for a fraction of the actual cost. When repairs were needed, the priority calls were actually the resellers.

With cable tv, you don't have seperate pairs for each customer. It's a shared signal until you reach the tap. Even though it was done in telephony, I don't see how it will work in cable.

I have a Dish Network. I have what they call a Super Dish (to get my locals via the dish) which is about twice the size and has helped my signal strength. I have never had a problem with signal loss in the winter. During a few bad storms in the summer I have lost signal, but it was primarily due to lower signal because of trees ( I know because I also use to install dishes). Something else to keep in mind is sun activity. It will affect both cable and dishes ( They both use sats.) My provider doesn't do a very good job IMO of telling it's customers.

I want my NFL Network and Big Ten Network. The cable companies will more than make their money back from the ad revenue they'll sell.

That should end the debate right there.

I had initially heard something to the tune of $5/subscriber for NFL Network, then came across this piece from Peter King in his recent MMQB column...

Link

Can't we all just get along? Isn't the pie big enough for everyone to have a piece?

Is it your inalienable right to have the NFL Network on your basic cable subscription? The NFL thinks so. Big Cable -- Time Warner Cable (Time Warner is the parent company of Time Warner Cable and Sports Illustrated) and Comcast, most notably -- think not.

We'll start to feel the heat on this issue Thursday night, when the first of eight games in 38 days is aired, a tepid matchup between Indianapolis and Atlanta (that lineup is the extent of live NFL football on the 24-hour NFL channel). The two referendum games come later, a month apart -- Green Bay at Dallas on Nov. 29, and New England at the Giants on Dec. 29.

The Green Bay-Dallas game will draw attention because this game for NFC supremacy and likely home-field advantage through the playoffs won't be seen on cable TV in either team's state capital; Madison and Austin don't have the NFL network on their cable systems.

The Patriots could be going for an undefeated regular season in week 17 at the Meadowlands, and 70 percent of the country with cable TV won't be able to watch because the big cable companies -- Time Warner and Comcast being the largest -- haven't reached a deal with the NFL to show the channel.

This is the second season with eight games on the fledgling network. The NFL eschewed a $400 million annual offer from Comcast to farm out the eight games before the 2006 season so the league could show them on its own network. Though the NFL has made deals with 240 smaller companies nationwide, most of the country is locked into Big Cable. And it's highly unlikely a deal will be made with either Time Warner or Comcast to break the logjam in time to show any or all of the eight games this year, though the Federal Communication Commission may force the two sides to binding arbitration after its monthly meeting in Washington on Nov. 27.

I want to lay out the two positions so you can have an opinion, if you want to have one. I've had a lot of people who won't see the games tell me, in essence: a pox on both their houses for not being able to figure out a fair way to give us the games.

I'll let Dallas owner Jerry Jones, the chairman of the league's broadcast committee, lay out his side, then you'll hear from the cable companies.

"We offer the cable company several minutes of advertising inventory on NFL Network. Every hour of every day they receive commercial time where they sell the ads and keep all the revenue. And in an effort to be better partners, we even set aside extra commercial inventory during our highly rated NFL games. Each cable operator gets 18 30-second ads during these games and they keep all the revenue from those too. Why do they have to charge the fans?

"Ask the fans this: Would you trade in three shopping channels, the Versus Network and Turner Classic Movies for the opportunity to have one channel in this country dedicated to football year-round? We offer a tremendous array of football-related content, the most popular programming in the country, and we do it for the cost to the cable operator of less than one movie ticket a year per subscriber. Would you rather go see one movie in the theater for two hours or have 24/7 year-round access to football?''

Big Cable clearly thinks the NFL Network is expensive niche programming, and disputes the league's claim it wouldn't have to raise rates if it took on the network. As one cable company official said to me: "The NFL wants us to show eight football games in six weeks, and then the rest of the year show a channel that has more repeats than ESPN News. They want us to do something that would force us to raise our rates. And quite frankly, there's been no groundswell from our customers to do this.''

I thought the fair thing might be to show how much money the cable companies are charged to carry some channels, just to put the stance of the NFL into some perspective. The firm SNL Financial, based in Charlottesville, Va., gathers financial data for the cable industry and provided me with these figures:

COST PER SUBSCRIBER HOUSEHOLD (per month)

Leading non-sports channels
TNT: 91 cents
Disney Channel: 83 cents
USA Network: 51 cents
CNN: 46 cents
TBS: 44 cents
Nickelodeon: 43 cents
FX: 36 cents

Leading sports channels
ESPN: $3.26
Fox Sports Net: $1.92
NFL Network: 80 cents
Fox College Sports: 63 cents
NHL Network: 51 cents
ESPN2: 46 cents
NBA TV: 36 cents

Keep in mind that this is an average. As Jones says, for mass distribution with the big companies, the NFL would likely make a deal with the cables for 60 or 65 cents per subscriber per month. One compromise offered by Time Warner but turned down by the NFL was to have the company make the eight games available on pay-per-view, with the NFL setting the pay-per-view price per game and collecting all revenue.

I expressed my disbelief to one cable analyst that cable companies viewed the value of the NFL Network almost double that of CNN, which has to be a staple of every cable system in the United States, with instantaneous coverage of wars and disasters worldwide. "You've got to understand one thing about sports and cable TV,'' the analyst said. "Sports rights fees are the one thing in the business that keep spiraling up and up, while the cost of a lot of these other channels, even the ones that seem so important, are remaining relatively flat.''

It still seems insane to me. Even the NHL Network -- and I don't even know what that is -- costs cable companies, on average, five cents more than CNN. NBA TV (36 cents per subscriber per month) is nine cents more than CNBC.

I have DirecTV, and, of course, the satellite carries the Network. But I don't watch the Network much, because I don't have time to watch much NFL programming other than games. Certainly I'll watch the games when they come on, beginning Thursday night. I heard Jim Nantz say on WFAN recently he doesn't have it in his Connecticut home, and my friend at ESPN.com, Len Pasquarelli, told me he doesn't watch it either.

I have nothing against it, and I'm sure I'm missing things by not watching the regular programming. But there's a sea of NFL programming on ESPN and Fox and everywhere else, and you could go blind watching it all. The NFL Network, it seems to me, would have a better case if it had more live events than eight games, the week at the NFL Scouting Combine and draft coverage.

You make the call. Who's to blame for you not having your games, cable America?

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I responded back with "But you have no problem charging me for: Lifetime, Hallmark, Oxygen, WE, and the Soap Network which I don't watch.

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They also don't mind charging the full rate to show us infomercials on channel after channel after channel.

RE you have choice, that sucks for me as I'm just past Reynoldsburg and I don't have any choice, truely cable sucks.

ON a completely different subject, but this is still Telivision thread, so

I'm sick and tired of seeing the same 7-10 teams on National TV games and nobody else. It is not like the other teams aren't winning. ( but against that argument, how did miame get a monday night game anyway they have lost for years) The teams I hate, because I've seen them too much

Philadelphia, on too much and who cares what a certain wr did for em
Dallas, I mean come on every thanksgiving, probably twice monday night, Plus the opening of every season, They don't even have any talent on offense or defense since the 90's (romo sucks, his stats are over hyped

philly, dallas,
Green BAY for God's sakes would that quarterback go away, WHOO CARES I've seen this song and dance for 12 years (old tired and boring)

Chicago, One the market is big so what, the defense plays well but that linebacker couldn't be more overhyped if he were a Nazi candidate for US President in a hypothetical rebirth in 1939 Germany's press. Bears, tired of seeing ya!
New England three words, GET OVER IT! dang could the tv anylists be more infatuated, I hope not.
Indianapolis, To heck with them, their comercials, their interviews
Baltimore, Uh when will anyone nationally wake up and realise (THEY SUCK!)

Philly, Dallas, Greenbay, Chicago, Nengland, Indanaplis, Baltimore,
to a lesser extent pittsburg, denver and Nygiants and oh yeah the jets, The jets are still the most loser franchise, (bengals excluded) ever because no team has lost to them and won a superbowl.

Phily dalls Gbay chicago, nengland indanaplis baltimore This is why monday and sunday night football suck so bad because I'm tired and everybody in america is tired of watching the same sad teams play games that are meaningless and not close.

The point is the Browns texans game or whoever Jacksonville, Tennessee, Kansas City or Buffalo Play is of much more importance this time of this year.

Because the Wild Card Race is actually up in the air, But the Afc east division isn't ... the Afc South Division isn't ( I mean Indy and Jax will do no worse than interchange for the wc, div winner)

The problem is if the Playoffs were today who would win the tie-breaker for 6th seed in the afc tennessee or Cleveland. and look out for Buffalo, because bottom line only one team from the afc west is going to qualify and that is ONE TOO MANY!

PUT NEW TEAMS ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!!

Jones upset 'millions' won't get to see Cowboys-Packers on cable

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is still urging NFL fans to pull the plug on cable, especially those who want to see next week's NFC showdown of 10-1 teams on NFL Network.

The Cowboys and Green Bay Packers both won Thanksgiving Day, a week before they play for the outright NFC lead.

The NFL Network has been in a dispute with large cable providers who don't carry the network on a basic tier. The network is available in about 35 million of the nation's more than 111 million homes with televisions.

"I am frustrated that we've got literally several million fans that won't get to see that game because Time Warner won't be carrying it," Jones said in the locker room after the Cowboys' 34-3 victory over the New York Jets. "I'm hot about that. I hope those fans will go to AT&T satellite or go over to a competing cable company."

Time Warner is the primary cable provider in the Dallas area.

Jones is the outspoken chairman of the league's NFL Network committee. His comments came just three days after Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the NFL Network demanding the channel's representatives stop encouraging fans to leave the cable provider.

"I know I have been given a cease and desist to quit saying that, but that is a fact," Jones said. "It's frustrating to think millions of Cowboys and Packers fans won't be able to see it."

Fans in each local market will be able to see the game. NFL rules require that games televised on cable must be made available to an over-the-air provider in the home market cities.

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I hope those fans will go to AT&T satellite or go over to a competing cable company."

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I sure wish we had a competing cable company where I live. Unfortunately, every company here has its own territory.

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Leading sports channels
ESPN: $3.26
Fox Sports Net: $1.92
NFL Network: 80 cents
Fox College Sports: 63 cents
NHL Network: 51 cents
ESPN2: 46 cents
NBA TV: 36 cents

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.80 cents per household, 50 million house holds would cost the cable companies 40 million dollars... (that's 480 million dollars per year)

Ad revenue as described by Jones would have to provide an income of about 28.8 million (200k per 30 second spot X 18 spots per game X 8 games)

That leaves 468.2 Million to cover somehow,,, that's sounding a lot like a rate increase would be needed to me.

But the rate increase would be very very modest. Divide that 468.2 million by 50 million households and you come up with about 78 cents per house hold per month or 9.36 per house hold per year...

I have no problem at all giving ANY cable company 10.00 bucks a year...

But they aren't offering me that option,,, and that's what is ticking me off most..

Seems to me I remember an " Ala Cart " approach to buying cable programing some time ago ? The cable company's refuse , right ?

Yeah,, many years ago I think there was an Ala cart approach,.. But now it's all bundles and packages.. as if they know what I want and don't want

I have DirectvLA down here and they really screwed us this year with the NFL. Sunday ticket ( about half the games on Sunday ) and we dam sure don't get the NFL. Network . Now the Soap Opera's down her are something else ! lol .. Oh yea , we get soccer 24/7 . If I never see another Soccer game it will not be to soon ! ( can't say that out loud here )

yeah i thought that ala cart was going to be something that was mandatory in the future....

i don't see why you couldn't assign all the channels a point value, and pick the channels that you want until you run out of points...

then you get only what you want....

what i don't understand is why the colts atlanta game wasen't even on in cleveland on nfl net last light....we have wow, and the game wasen't even on....wtf is up with that?

I agree, I wouldn't have a problem paying an extra $10 a month for a "sports tier" with NFL, Big 10, etc. Problem is, the channels (NFL, B10) won't let Time Warner and Comcast put them on a separate tier.

This needs to be arbitrated by next year, hopefully in time for the combine.

The whole thing is a Cluster Pluck if you ask me.. The only person that is being hurt in this entire mess is the fan.. and most of us are probably willing to pay the extra to get the NFLN.. But I don't want it bundled with anything.


I've always prefered the Ala Cart approach. I can pay for what I want and get rid of the things I could care less about.

I'll never need the Soap Opera Channel, The Game Show Channel or any of the foriegn Lanquage channels, and a host of others.. I don't need them, they are fluff so that the cable company can say they are giving you something.. well, if you don't want what they give,, what good is it.

So, let me pick the stations I want and I'll pay for those,, I'd be a happy camper.. Bet my bill goes down also.. By a bunch.. (that could be why they don't like that approach)

The NFL would lose a ton of money of they started broadcasting all their own games. There's alot of people that would not pay a dime to get them, when they have been free for so long.

In the end, they would love all but the most hardcore fans.

The NFL won't try to monopolize the game anytime soon,, maybe someday and maybe that is thier ultimate goal, but if they took the games completely off Free TV, they would have a revolt that would rival the response to Modell moving the Browns.. by an extremely large margin,,, The Groundswell of Anti NFL actions, the lawsuits individuals would file and the damage to the leagues image (something they protect) would be horrendous..

They would NEVER again be trusted.. Millions upon millions would be lost if they tried to make it so every game was PPV or on some bundle arrangment.

Honestly, the more I think about it, the less likely I think it will ever happen. At least not in our lifetimes

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The nfl is banking on people being upset with their cable provider, when, in my opinion, it is the nfl that is to blame.

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This is where it gets interesting for me. I'm a fan and I have a choice of who my television-content provider is. I chose TWC because I've had bad experiences in the past with satellite/weather conditions.

But when I had DTV as my provider, they did what they had to do to get a deal done with the NFL. They did what it took to make me, the customer, happy (technical issues aside).

Why I think this is the Cable company's fault is that they ARE NOT doing what it takes. They are fighting over pennies per customer instead of looking at the bigger picture of keeping their customers happy.

Even if the NFL is at "fault" for trying to charge too much...so what? They are the organization making the product we all love to watch. In my opinion, I think what they are asking, per household, is completely reasonable.

If this isn't sorted out by mid-summer next year, I'll go back to DTV (especially if the dishes are more weather-proof now) and TWC can lose my $130 payment each month. I'm sure I'm one of many who feel this way.

Ya see, I just want the content. I don't care who's fault it is. And if the Cable companies can't provide it...they'll lose me. Simple as that.