NFL Network

[packinpatland]

This may have already been discussed, but here's Peter King's take on it:


"4. I think you can feel the NFL tightening up over the stalemate with the NFL Network and the big cable companies. That's why owners meeting in Philadelphia last week spent far more time on NFL Network issues than other ones. There are two games in the second half of the season, exactly a month apart, that are very big for a couple of reasons. On Thursday, Nov. 29, Green Bay plays at Dallas. On Saturday, Dec. 29, New England plays at the Giants. Both are NFL Network games.

The Dallas-Green Bay game will be significant for playoff implications, and it will be a political football as well -- neither of the state capitals, Austin or Madison, is serviced by a cable company that gets the NFL Network. The game won't be shown in either place unless viewers go to a sports bar or have satellite TV. As for the Pats-Giants game, if New England enters the game 15-0, how will the 70 percent of the 65 million cable homes in America feel when they can't get a peek at such a historic game?

With no progress in sight, I think the only thing that can bridge the gap is either arbitration between the two sides or some sort of ownership stake in the Network for the cable giants. But it won't happen this year. And fans are going to be ticked off if they can't see those two games. "They'd probably be mad at all of us,'' commissioner Roger Goodell said the other day in Philly."

[HarveyWallbangers]

Unless you get the Sunday Ticket, you aren't guaranteed to get every game anyways (whether you get the NFL Channel or not), so I'm not sure what the big issue is.

[cpk1994]

Unless you get the Sunday Ticket, you aren't guaranteed to get every game anyways (whether you get the NFL Channel or not), so I'm not sure what the big issue is.

I think you are missing the point. They have two significant games that are on the NFL Network. The Patriots with the potential of being 15-0 and the Dallas?GB game wihich could decide the top seeds in the NFC. THese games are national television. Becuase the NFL put them on their own network instead of maybe giving them to ESPN or NBC which would guarantee everyone would see them, many won't. Goodell and the oweners sure as hell don't want to upset the golden goose and they are finally beginning to see that possibility of really happening.

[MadtownPacker]

I think it is a huge deal and like CPK said, those of you losers who don't have Sunday Ticket are getting bent over by your cable provider. I keep telling you guys it aint too much $$ but you don't listen. Get it, you wont be sorry. The NFL Films stuff alone is worth it. Plus you get to see replays with all the fluff cut out. Plus you can watch both the vikings and bears lose like I did yesterday.

Treat yourself, dont cheat yourself.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Unless you get the Sunday Ticket, you aren't guaranteed to get every game anyways (whether you get the NFL Channel or not), so I'm not sure what the big issue is.

I think you are missing the point. They have two significant games that are on the NFL Network. The Patriots with the potential of being 15-0 and the Dallas?GB game wihich could decide the top seeds in the NFC. THese games are national television. Becuase the NFL put them on their own network instead of maybe giving them to ESPN or NBC which would guarantee everyone would see them, many won't. Goodell and the oweners sure as hell don't want to upset the golden goose and they are finally beginning to see that possibility of really happening.

It just so happens that those games could be an enormous draw this year. Luck of the draw. Green Bay and/or Dallas could have just as easily been ordinary. New England could lose a game--which would make their last game of the regular season (benching their starters) pretty meaningless. There are plenty of games I don't get to see. It's not like I have a right to see every NFL game. No sport televises every one of their games for free. If I wanted to get every game, I could purchase the Sunday Ticket.

[The Leaper]

Somehow, I don't think the NFL is going to lose many fans over this...which is why the NFL is going to play hardball. Will a Packer fan quit being a Packer fan because of the NFL Network? Of course not. Ultimately, the cable companies will lose subscribers as more and more people go to satellite.

I agree 100% with Mad on this...if you are a huge NFL fan, and most people here are, it is well worth the extra money you might have to pay to get DirecTV and Sunday Ticket. I now watch the NFL Network 90% of the time when it comes to my NFL information. The analysts on ESPN or anywhere else are inferior by quite a bit IMO...and the NFL Network gets exclusive access because of its ties to the league that no one else will get.

Even if you can't pony up for Sunday Ticket, then just getting the NFL Network alone is worth an extra $5 a month over the course of a year...and you will typically be able to find an inital offer for new subscribers that will SAVE you money short term or allow you to upgrade for no extra cost (to HD or DVR).

[fan4life]

I live in greater Milwaukee, so I'll see both games; I don't have a dog in the fight about these two games.

My beef with the NFL Network is that I don't want DirecTV and my cable provider (Timer Warner) doesn't offer it. Millions of people would PAY to get it (and/or Sunday Ticket) on cable, but aren't given that option. THAT has to get resolved, plain and simple.

[wpony]

best thing I ever did was to get rid of charter I am able to watch the all the badger and packer games most in HD plus have much more variety of programs to watch love dvr plus better picture and it costs less , I owe it all to charters stupidity to deal with the nfl thats what got me looking into dish network. Thanks Charter I owe you one NOT!!

[The Leaper]

My beef with the NFL Network is that I don't want DirecTV and my cable provider (Timer Warner) doesn't offer it.

There are other satellite companies that also carry the NFL Network, just not Sunday Ticket.

Waiting on cable companies to do something to benefit you? Good luck with that.

[4and12to12and4]

I think it is a huge deal and like CPK said, those of you losers who don't have Sunday Ticket are getting bent over by your cable provider. I keep telling you guys it aint too much $$ but you don't listen. Get it, you wont be sorry. The NFL Films stuff alone is worth it. Plus you get to see replays with all the fluff cut out. Plus you can watch both the vikings and bears lose like I did yesterday.

Treat yourself, dont cheat yourself.

This is the first year that I have the NFL Ticket, but it still doesn't make it right in my mind. Everyone in Wisconsin and Texas should have the right to watch the game against Dallas without having to buy the NFL Ticket.

First off, even though I have the NFL Ticket, I HATE Direct TV, they are way behind in technology. It is not user friendly like DishNetwork in so many ways I won't even get into it. If it weren't for the NFL Ticket, I would've switched back to DishNetwork because of their superiority.

Isn't the Big Ten Network doing this same thing to Midwesterners? Making them either subscribe or miss games in their local areas? That is just wrong for both college and Pro football to do that to it's consumers.

[SkinBasket]

Yeah, it's easy to buy all the advertising the NFL and BT Networks have put into this and vilify the cable companies, but don't forget who created these fucking extraneous "networks" for more cash.

Both sides are to blame, but I thought shit was just fine before the "Networks" started holding games hostage to negotiate better deals with the cable companies. This is about money on money, not about servicing any fans of any sport.

[HarveyWallbangers]

After all is said and done, this is what it boils down to. From the Press Gazette:

The conflict revolves around money. The networks want to be shown on the less-expensive basic tier, where they’d have more viewers and could charge more for advertising time. Cable companies want to put them on a more expensive special sports tier to increase its subscribers.

[Jimx29]

How they (cable ) think it will increase subscribers is way beyond me. I'm lucky enough that my local DSL provider has it on their basic expanded tier (dumped charter because of it), and i've now had the channel since early August and i'm already completely burned out on their programming and this is the NFL season. At best I watch 5 hours per week of their scheduling as it is and that's a lot to do with the Packers suscess this year. I seriously doubt i'll spend more than 5-10 minutes a week on that channel during the off season. Why would/should I pay $XX.XX per month more for something I get maybe 4-5 months of minimal usage?

[Lurker64]

How they (cable ) think it will increase subscribers is way beyond me.

I believe they want NFLN on the more expensive sports tier (which already exists) in order to increase subscriptions to the sports tier. Since there are people who will pay whatever extra it costs for the sports tier for NFLN, but wouldn't pay for what they have currently.

[Jimx29]

How they (cable ) think it will increase subscribers is way beyond me.

I believe they want NFLN on the more expensive sports tier (which already exists) in order to increase subscriptions to the sports tier. Since there are people who will pay whatever extra it costs for the sports tier for NFLN, but wouldn't pay for what they have currently.

Cold day in hell i'd pay $49 a month for that.