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Incomplete: Cowboys-Packers Showdown Hard to Find on NFL Network
Tony Romo by Kevin Terrell/WireImage.com, Brett Favre by Steve Levin/WireImage.com
The Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers Thursday in what is arguably the NFL season’s biggest game to date not involving the New England Patriots. Yet much of the country won’t be able to watch the contest, which is airing on the fledgling NFL Network.
The league-owned channel is available in only 43.5 million of the country’s 112.8 million households because many cable companies, like Time Warner, don’t feel it’s worth the price the NFL is charging. (Satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV do offer the network, and NFL Network games are also shown on free TV in the local markets of the teams playing.) The NFL has attempted to make its network more appealing by adding eight regular-season games this fall, including Thursday’s meeting (Nov. 29, 8 pm/ET) between NFC rivals Dallas and Green Bay, both 10-1.
One cable company that does offer the NFL Network is Comcast, but only as part of its Sports Entertainment Package, which requires an additional fee. "While the NFL claims that it wants its games to be seen by the widest possible audiences, it’s actually their rules that limit which games fans can watch," Comcast president David L. Cohen said in a statement. "The NFL decided to take these eight games off of free broadcast television and try to enrich themselves at the expense of their fans by creating a multibillion-dollar asset called the NFL Network."
The NFL is crying personal foul, claiming that by not carrying the NFL Network on a digital-basic tier, cable companies are blocking the league’s attempt to bring year-round pro football coverage to fans. (In the off-season the network airs repeats of classic games, news, interviews, etc.) "We believe that they're just putting us on the sports tier… to create a new tier that can generate new revenues, and we don't think that's right for our fans," says NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "We want our games and our network to be seen by the broadest possible audience. These are nationally televised games, half of which would not have been available nationally in the past."
The debate will only get louder, especially on Dec. 29 when the NFL Network has the Patriots-Giants — a game in which the Patriots could potentially be playing to complete a historic undefeated season — and much of the country won’t be able to see it. So it’s not really a question of who’s right in this debate so much as who’s being wronged. — Robert Edelstein
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Nov 28, 2007 12:46 PM
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Comcast is a greedy bunch of SOBs. When is it enough money????? They charge mucho money for their normal service and a few premium stations.
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Nov 29, 2007 8:06 AM
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As a die-hard NFL fan (especially the Cowboys) I am so tired of the greed involved with both parties. Cable and the NFL Network need to get over themselves and give the fans what they deserve. I have tried to switch to other carriers but can not get a "dish" since I live in a condo with very specific rules about satellites. So I am stuck with cable. Both parties are being greedy in this battle and the fans are the losers. But don't be surprised that in the next few years, the NFL goes to pay-per-view for all games just so they can make more money!
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Nov 29, 2007 11:14 AM
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First, I'm a die-hard Packers fan and it pisses me off to no end that I won't be able to see this game, but I side with the cable companies.
The NFL says that they deserve to be treated like a full-fledged year round network when the truth of the matter is the only time anybody is going to watch the NFL network is to see a game. Nobody is going to watch it during the offseason or during the 6 days of the week that they're not showing games. ESPN doesn't cover the NFL during March and April for a reason, they're nothing going on.
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Nov 29, 2007 11:35 AM
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I get where you all are coming from.
Here in Ohio now that the Big Ten Conference has THEIR own network, you all can now feel our pain. Two Buckeye football games only on that channel, over 20 of their basketball games only on that channel which available only via one local cable company and one satelite provider. For once, I had the right cable company (Insight) and haven't had to miss any games but more than half of the local area right around "the horseshoe" don't have the chance to watch the games from home.
Sucks that these channels are forming but I am afraid it is only gonna get worse. Within ten years all sports on TV will probably be pay per view.
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Nov 29, 2007 12:12 PM
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I tend to agree with the cable companies. Although I'm a big fan, other than the actual live games on NFL Network, I would never watch the channels. I'm just not into the draft, highlights, or classic games.
The NFL won't cop to this but I believe long term they hope to have every single game to be a pay per view game. I believe they are greedy and that long term they want to get away from broadcast networks. The NFL Network is their first fledgling attempt.
If they can strong arm the cable companies into giving them the placement they want, look for more and more games to migrate to the NFL Network. Once they have a huge base built up, they'll then want to change over to some sort of pay per view arrangement and will abandon the networks completely.
Greedy NFL!
Drew
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Nov 29, 2007 12:29 PM
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There's a controversy?
Sorry, I was too busy watching the NFL Network and the Big Ten network on my DirecTV service to notice what anyone was saying.
Gonna be a fantastic game tonight - glad I can see it!
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Nov 29, 2007 12:36 PM
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I blame the cable companies 100%... If Direct TV and Dish can find room along with lots of smaller cable companies ( like Insight which is in smaller mid-western areas and has NFL Network on the Digital Basic plan and in HD... they also have Big Ten on their Analog so they are very fan friendly), the bigger cable companies could find room in their Digital lineup... I have Comcast at home and get the sports tier since I have the top package... Frankly, I don't understand what people are so bent up about anyway... The dirty little secret is that the Sports Tier is a good deal for sports fans not just of the NFL... it has some good college games of all sorts along with pro basketball, tennis, and hockey.... I'm glad Comcast was able to get it for their sports tier...
The real battle will be in a couple of years when the NFL Ticket comes up again for bid....
By the way, those who think the NFL Network is good for games hasn't watched it... The On Demand portion you get with it has every game available the next day plus they have the replays...
D
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Nov 29, 2007 12:52 PM
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I don't care if the NFL Network is available or not because I won't watch anything with Bryant Gumble, even if they paid me.
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Nov 29, 2007 12:54 PM
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alynch is wrong to believe that ESPN does not cover the NFL during the offseason. There is free agency, mini and training camps and not to mention the draft. The NFL draft is becoming more and more popular and is actually probably the most covered event on ESPN in the month of April. The NFL network right now has exclusive draft content like the combine which gives the network with new content for consumers. I understand that more people pay attention to the NFL when it is in season, but for sports enthusiast football is turning into a year round thing. I know it is for me and it kills me being a Cowboys Fan not to get this game at my home. I understand why both sides are doing what they are doing. I think the cable companies would be more responsive if they were able to carry the NFL Sunday Ticket which is right now exclusively on DirectTV. Hopefully something can be agreed upon before next season, but I highly doubt it.
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Nov 29, 2007 12:54 PM
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I blame the NFL for all this mess. They are purposefully putting big games like this only on the NFL network because they can pressure the cable companies to carry NFL network in their regular cable package, and not as an extra add-on. However, NFL wants something like $7 to $9 per household, per year from the cable companies to carry NFL Network. But like what was posted earlier, the channel is seasonal at best. The majority of people will watch games in the fall and winter, then turn off during spring and summer. CNN only charges about $5 per household, per year, and that is a channel people watch year-round. Couple this with the fact that NFL continues to hawk the Sunday Ticket on Direct TV (A service that only about 10% of the country can receive), and my conclusion is that the NFL is at fault here.
You can read more here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071030
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Nov 29, 2007 1:17 PM
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GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED GREED
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Nov 29, 2007 1:18 PM
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just to throw this out there, I work for a cable operator. The NFL network, and the BIG 10 network have spent the last few months waging a propaganda campaign against the Large Cable MSO's claiming we are limiting access to there "Valued" programing. Running smear adds cleverly disguised as articles claiming cable customers are leaving by the thousands to dish to accuses the NFL network. As well as, running actual paper adds telling cable subscribers to Quit their cable company's and go with Dish to get the NFL network (a clear violation with the NFL's contract with the MSO i work for; they've been sent a cease and desist order.. however it seams a little to late.) The NFL's side of the argument is this, they want .70 cents a subscriber, as well as requiring the channel to be made part of the basic digital line up... that means that every digital cable customer, wether they watch Football or not will have to pay for this channel. You say, huh that doesn't seem so bad, however, TBS a network included in that same tier, currently only charges .30 and ESPN (our highest charging network BTW) only gets .55. Dose this seam fair to you? Only time can tell but as far as I'm concerned, the NFL can walk... were not going to give in to bullying tactics and good old fashioned greed.
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Nov 29, 2007 1:25 PM
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how much more greedier can they get all the networks bid to carry the nfl games that we see now! if they care about there fans they would air the game tonite ..they might as well go on strike or something cuz i can careless about it all now ..mr.goodell are u smarter then a 5th grader?! sure don't show it!
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Nov 29, 2007 1:56 PM
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I can't beleive the nerve of the cable companies statign that the NFL is being greedy!! All the NFL wants is to have their channel available on the basic line-ups; that's all. The reason the cable companies don't want that is so THEY can charge more for it. That's because people want to see the NFL network, unlike most of the channels the cable companies force us to take. And they wonder why I'm a satelite customer!!
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Nov 29, 2007 1:57 PM
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