Like so many others, I was furious when I couldn't watch the Packers-Cowboys games a few weeks back. The NFL Network is only carried on satellite which is simply not an option for many of us in urban areas like NYC. For those who haven't been paying attention, there's been a long-running standoff between the cable companies and the NFL network. (ComCast carries it at a premium, but neither Time Warner or Cablevision offer it, free or otherwise). To sum up:
The NFL wants its network carried on basic cable packages with channels such as ESPN or CNN, where it can reach the broadest possible audience. Cable companies including Time Warner Inc. say it belongs on a sports package, or tier, where its audience would include only those fans willing to pay extra.
I am a huge fan of the NFL and would certainly subscribe in a second. Much like the issues with net neutrality, the problem is that we're not dealing with a perfect market. If Time Warner doesn't offer me the ability to subscribe to the NFL Network, I can't get it.
Allen wonders why the NFL doesn't broadcast its games online, something that Major League Baseball has been doing for awhile.
The thing about this is that, ultimately, it hurts the NFL if NFL fans can't see the games. I realize they have leverage today, but as time goes on us fans don't care whose fault it is - all we know is that we're paying upwards of $150 a month and can't watch these NFL games we want to.
Well, it looks like the game of chicken has ended at least for one game. We still don't have the NFL Network, but the NFL has agreed to simulcast the upcoming Patriots-Giants game on NBC and CBS.
"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement after the league announced it was reversing course. "We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."
. . .
The NFL had claimed that the onus of making the game widely available fell on the major cable providers with which the league has bitterly feuded. Companies such as Comcast and Time Warner have declined to carry the network as part of basic packages. But lawmakers have pressured the NFL to ensure more viewers could see the game. Last week, two prominent members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Goodell threatening to reconsider the league's antitrust exemption.
As much as I'd like to believe that this was done "in the best interest of [NFL] fans", I have to think the threat of losing their antitrust exemption made all the difference here. Either way, it's good to see that NFL fans are not left out - at least for now.
Oh, and "Let's Go Giants"!