Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 28 > Entry
CBS and NBC yes! NFL Network no!
Score one for football fans, who have temporarily triumphed over NFL greed.
The 70 million homes, including mine, who do not have the NFL Network will get to see the New England Patriots wrap up their perfect 16-0 season Saturday night against the New York Giants. (OK, that’s the hope of this Pats’ fan; it’s POSSIBLE that won’t happen.)
If you follow football at all — and especially if you’re a Dallas Cowboys’ fan — you’re well aware of Jerry Jones and his NFL cohorts swiping games away from the general population this season. It’s been good for bars and satellite services, but bad for the rest of us.
The NFL Network got its greedy corporate hands on a few choice games this year (including the recent Dallas vs. Green Bay game) and attempted to push cable networks such as Time Warner into adding the network to its basic package — for an allegedly enormous price. Time Warner has politely declined and offered to add the NFL Network to its premium sports tier only — at an allegedly substantial cost to subscribers.
The impasse has become a public relations war that hasn’t been good for anyone, with the possible exception of newspapers that got to run full-page ads featuring Jerry Jones’ rants.
The pact for Saturday night’s historic Patriots’ game was reached after fans around the country and Massachusetts politicians such as Sen. John Kerry bombarded the NFL with complaints.
Thus the game will be simulcast on CBS (KEYE Channel 42) and NBC (KXAN Channel 36) at 7 p.m. That means pretty much everybody can see it — and they don’t even have to have cable, let alone satellite or NFL Network.
But don’t expect this largesse to be without a promotional blizzard for the NFL Network. I’m betting we’ll see more of Jerry Jones than we EVER wanted.
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By Kae
December 29, 2007 7:58 PM | Link to this
If I had been prepared for the insanity of two local stations airing the same game I would have gone out tonight, rented a movie or found a book to read. I don't have cable or a dish so my viewing options are severely limited tonight. I am not a football fan so I have no idea what is so special about either team.
I am so peeved by this I have both called and emailed KEYE and KXAN. It will likely be a long, long time before I watch either station again so their advertisers won't be reaching me.
By Erin Carmody
December 28, 2007 1:32 PM | Link to this
As a die hard Patriots fan for life, I for one am thrilled that everyone can see it. Granted, it didn't affect me given that I have Direct TV and purchased the NFL Sunday ticket due to the unfortunate fact that I now live in North Carolina, but I agree completely that everyone should be able to see the game.
Since they started showing games this year on NFL network, I questioned how that would work with many Cable companies not giving NFL network to basic subscribers. It is unfair to eliminate THAT many people from watching what should be a family event, whether or not the Pats are going for 16 and 0.. (Yeah baby! lol). Anyhow, its how I felt when they put the Red Sox on NESN so you could see as many games because they were charging you for NESN. I think that changed - but I'm not sure, I've been gone for 3 years. (Do you sense the bitterness yet?)
Great for John Kerry for doing that, and for lobbying the other channels to show it. It is about time that someone look out for the fans of these sports instead of just the people making money. Everyone should be able to see such a big game like this!!
By Suz
December 28, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this
The NFL Network has much better picture quality than either CBS or NBC football broadcasts. I ditched the notoriously greedy Time Warner years ago after tiring of the constant rate increases. I have had Dish Network ever since, which this year added NFL Network to the Top 150 package I already subscribed to at no increase in cost!