NFL Network to carry 8 prime-time games in 2006

GRN · 01-28-2006, 11:10 PM

NFL Network Will Carry Eight Prime-Time Games

Richard Sandomir, New York Times
January 28, 2006

The National Football League will place eight prime-time Thursday and Saturday games on its NFL Network starting in 2006, a senior league executive said.

The league had been negotiating intently in recent weeks with Comcast, the largest cable operator in the country, about putting games on what would be a reconstituted OLN network and expanding distribution of the NFL Network on Comcast systems, where it is carried on a digital tier.

But yesterday morning, the league decided not to go into business with Comcast and to put the games on the NFL Network, which has had preseason games but no regular-season broadcasts. Comcast had no comment.

Putting the games on the NFL Network is a change for the league, which is accustomed to being richly compensated by networks with rights fees. Now, the NFL Network is building its own asset, for which it can presumably charge higher monthly subscriber fees while still collecting huge payments from CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV.

The schedule is made up of games that would have been on Saturdays late in the season on CBS or Fox, or on those networks' regional schedules, said the executive, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal. The first game will be on the Thanksgiving night, between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. All games will be simulcast on local broadcast stations in the markets of the teams playing.

The NFL Network has 35 million cable and satellite subscribers, and it the addition of regular-season games will probably vastly increase its customer base and add cable operators like Time Warner and Charter, which have so far resisted signing on.

"They'll be able to build the NFL Network into something far more significant," said Marc Ganis, a sports industry consultant. "On the 357 days when games are not being carried, N.F.L. programming will be going into people's homes."

The eight-game package had been the subject of talks with ESPN and News Corporation, the parent of Fox Broadcasting, but at the end, the discussions were between Comcast and the league.

The league's decision to build the NFL Network with regular-season games comes nine months after it completed deals with NBC Universal Sports on a six-year, $3.6 billion deal to carry Sunday night games and with ESPN on an eight-year, $8.8 billion contract to show "Monday Night Football." In November 2004, CBS and Fox extended their Sunday deals for six years, with CBS paying $622 million annually and Fox paying $712 million. DirecTV extended its contract for $3.5 billion over five years.

No mention about any games being in HD, but I would be very surprised if they're not.

Webby_s · 01-28-2006, 11:50 PM

The NFL Network is broadcast in HD 'were available' but you tell me where that is available. It said something about it being simulcast on local broadcast stations. So I take it that means that locally they don't need the NFL Network?

GRN · 01-29-2006, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webby_s

The NFL Network is broadcast in HD 'were available' but you tell me where that is available. It said something about it being simulcast on local broadcast stations. So I take it that means that locally they don't need the NFL Network?

I can't speak for any other systems, but DISH carries NFL-HD; this past season they simulcast pre-season games and the Game of the Week in HD.

I would expect they would keep the same arrangement when they show the prime-time games; simulcast in HD "where available".

"All games will be simulcast on local broadcast stations in the markets of the teams playing" means just what you surmised: If the game is between Washington and Dalls, then the game can be seen locally in Dallas and Washington. Everyone else will have to tune in to the NFL Network broadcast.

Jimbos · 01-29-2006, 06:10 PM

I would imagine that "IF" D* decides to carry the NFL network games in HD that it would be in the 90's.

Gee, do you suppose that the NFL ST will come down in price because they are showing less games this coming year ?

Jimbo

1080i Ownz · 01-29-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbos

I would imagine that "IF" D* decides to carry the NFL network games in HD that it would be in the 90's.

Gee, do you suppose that the NFL ST will come down in price because they are showing less games this coming year ?

Jimbo

ROFL!

Jimbos · 01-30-2006, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1080i Ownz

ROFL!

That what I thought !!!

Jimbo

GRN · 01-30-2006, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbos

That what I thought !!!

Jimbo

Jimbo, that was one of those "oh, I really shouldn't have posted that because now I can't delete the post" jobs right there

maxx42o1 · 02-05-2006, 02:43 PM

NFL ST will probably go up again this year,

01-28-2006, 11:10 PM	#1
GRN Think outside the Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Parts Unknown, NY Posts: 635	NFL Network to carry 8 prime-time games in 2006 NFL Network Will Carry Eight Prime-Time Games Richard Sandomir, New York Times January 28, 2006 The National Football League will place eight prime-time Thursday and Saturday games on its NFL Network starting in 2006, a senior league executive said. The league had been negotiating intently in recent weeks with Comcast, the largest cable operator in the country, about putting games on what would be a reconstituted OLN network and expanding distribution of the NFL Network on Comcast systems, where it is carried on a digital tier. But yesterday morning, the league decided not to go into business with Comcast and to put the games on the NFL Network, which has had preseason games but no regular-season broadcasts. Comcast had no comment. Putting the games on the NFL Network is a change for the league, which is accustomed to being richly compensated by networks with rights fees. Now, the NFL Network is building its own asset, for which it can presumably charge higher monthly subscriber fees while still collecting huge payments from CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV. The schedule is made up of games that would have been on Saturdays late in the season on CBS or Fox, or on those networks' regional schedules, said the executive, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal. The first game will be on the Thanksgiving night, between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. All games will be simulcast on local broadcast stations in the markets of the teams playing. The NFL Network has 35 million cable and satellite subscribers, and it the addition of regular-season games will probably vastly increase its customer base and add cable operators like Time Warner and Charter, which have so far resisted signing on. "They'll be able to build the NFL Network into something far more significant," said Marc Ganis, a sports industry consultant. "On the 357 days when games are not being carried, N.F.L. programming will be going into people's homes." The eight-game package had been the subject of talks with ESPN and News Corporation, the parent of Fox Broadcasting, but at the end, the discussions were between Comcast and the league. The league's decision to build the NFL Network with regular-season games comes nine months after it completed deals with NBC Universal Sports on a six-year, $3.6 billion deal to carry Sunday night games and with ESPN on an eight-year, $8.8 billion contract to show "Monday Night Football." In November 2004, CBS and Fox extended their Sunday deals for six years, with CBS paying $622 million annually and Fox paying $712 million. DirecTV extended its contract for $3.5 billion over five years. No mention about any games being in HD, but I would be very surprised if they're not.

01-28-2006, 11:50 PM	#2
Webby_s Panasonic 50" DLP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Rochester, MN Age: 29 Posts: 133	The NFL Network is broadcast in HD 'were available' but you tell me where that is available. It said something about it being simulcast on local broadcast stations. So I take it that means that locally they don't need the NFL Network?

01-29-2006, 06:10 PM	#4
Jimbos High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,964	I would imagine that "IF" D* decides to carry the NFL network games in HD that it would be in the 90's. Gee, do you suppose that the NFL ST will come down in price because they are showing less games this coming year ? Jimbo

02-05-2006, 02:43 PM	#8
maxx42o1 HD Fan Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 101	NFL ST will probably go up again this year,