Dec

26

Did the NFL Network Give Up Too Much?

December 26, 2007 | by Keith | Categories Television |

As you know by now, the NFL has made arrangements with CBS and NBC to simulcast this Saturday’s NFL Network game between the Patriots and the Giants.  This is good news for football fans across the country who have been limited by the coverage of the NFL Network on local cable television outlets.  But is it good news for the future of the NFL Network?

All season the NFL Network has promoted its product with the hope of gaining favor from cable television companies to place the channel on its expanded basic tier of programming.  By and large the cable companies refused, citing the high subscriber fee the NFL Network mandated for carriage.

It looked like the NFL Network had an enormous chit in this battle with its exclusive coverage of this Saturday’s potentially history making game.  If nothing else, the network would see added revenue from those who subscribed to the channel by paying extra to access it on the cable company’s sports-specific tier of programming.   By agreeing to the simulcast, they lost any leverage they had over the cable companies.

Granted, if this game did not have the historical overtones it would not have been shared with the other two networks.  If the battle between the NFL Network and the cable companies continues, what incentive would potential NFL Network subscribers have if such a history making event happens in the future?  Why pay the money if there is a precedent established that these games could be simulcast again?

I had no problem with the NFL Network keeping its exclusivity for this game.  People who really wanted to see the game would have had their options to do so…either by paying for the service, switching to satellite, or visiting their local watering hole to watch the game.  (Talk about a negative impact…I’d hate to be a bar owner who now will lose business because of this move.)

People who have NFL Network say the service is valuable for more than just the games it telecasts.  That may be so.  Maybe this goodwill gesture will result in subscriptions next year.  My gut reaction is no.  But I have been wrong before.


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