JS-Cowboy Owner Pulls for NFL Network

[cpk1994]

I've corresponded with both Charter and the NFL. What it boils down to is that Charter knows it's a big money maker for them and they refuse to carry it on basic cable because the real cost to them per subscriber is about $0.18. Because Charter wants to make a hug profit from it, they want to make up a sports tier, something they don't have now, probably for $20 a month. They know that no on will care if their cable bill goes up $0.80 a month if the NFL network is on there. The big money for them is in the sports package and that is the sticking point. The NFL charges what it charges for it's network and the cable companies want to jack up the price because of the high demand and the NFL won't allow that. So in a backwards way, the NFL is looking out for it's fans albeit in a wierd way having the games on NFLN to begiun with.

Wrong. Charter already has a sports tier. They had the NFL Network on there about 3-4 years ago until the NFL pitched a fit. Currently on their sports tier is ESPNNEWS, ESPNU, FCS regional channels & Fox Soccer Channel and a few lesser channels.

[cpk1994]

It's why ABC doesn't have Monday night football. ESPN paid a bazillion dollars for the rights and they're STILL making money.

ABC and ESPN are owned by the same parent company, Disney. NBC is the company that paid a bazillion for SNF, so they wouldn't be locked out of the FB market. Shows like Desperate Housewives do better than MNF - or at least the combination of MNF on ESPN and DH on ABC does better than MNF on ABC and ice skating on ESPN.

I never let facts get in the way of a good rant, Mraynrand, but that is a very interesting nugget of info regarding ABC and ESPN.

So did ABC and ESPN bid against each other, or did Disney make the call?

ABC never bid. Becuase of declining ratings, ABC gave it up.

[swede]

It's why ABC doesn't have Monday night football. ESPN paid a bazillion dollars for the rights and they're STILL making money.

ABC and ESPN are owned by the same parent company, Disney. NBC is the company that paid a bazillion for SNF, so they wouldn't be locked out of the FB market. Shows like Desperate Housewives do better than MNF - or at least the combination of MNF on ESPN and DH on ABC does better than MNF on ABC and ice skating on ESPN.

I never let facts get in the way of a good rant, Mraynrand, but that is a very interesting nugget of info regarding ABC and ESPN.

So did ABC and ESPN bid against each other, or did Disney make the call?

ABC never bid. Becuase of declining ratings, ABC gave it up.

If ratings were in decline they might have tried producing a football game with a recap of Sunday's action at halftime. Sideline reporters, distracting broadcast booth interviews, and idiotic banter between announcers were production elements invented by ABC in the mistaken assumption that people like that stuff.