Link (http://www.benmaller.com/archives/2006/january/17-source_nfl_network_gets_new_pbp_deal.html)
QuoteSource: NFL Network gets new P-B-P deal
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Ben Maller Exclusive!!
The National Football League has agreed to place its new eight-game, late-season cable TV package on the league-owned NFL Network, according to a BenMaller.com TV insider mole.
Comcast, hoping to win the rights in order to compete with ESPN and FOX, made a huge offer that was not accepted. According to our mole, the NFL felt that, in the end, the real value was in building up the league-owned cable network, in order to make the channel available on more cable systems across the country.
Developing...
Does not surprise me at all. The NFL did this one for themselves. I originally thought TNT would get into the mix, but they were probably in for something weekly (like the SNF or MNF packages). Bad thing about this is the small amount of homes the NFL Network is in. Comcast, at least, has to put this on their normal TV package.
Well, I will be pissed if my ghey cable provider doesn't add NFL Network pretty damn soon.
Quote from: FFatPatt on January 22, 2006, 02:37:42 PM
Well, I will be pissed if my ghey cable provider doesn't add NFL Network pretty damn soon.
So will the rest of football America. For this reason alone, NFL made the shrewd move.
The games will still be on broadcast TV in each local market when their teams are playing (most likely ABC here, because they signed the deal to become the local home of the Eagles).
Smart move. I love NFL Network, but I don't watch it that often, because I only get it on my dish...and I only have that for NFL Sunday Ticket. If it was on cable, I'd certainly watch more often... and this move should do it.
Quote from: Diomedes on January 22, 2006, 02:47:16 PM
Quote from: FFatPatt on January 22, 2006, 02:37:42 PM
Well, I will be pissed if my ghey cable provider doesn't add NFL Network pretty damn soon.
So will the rest of football America. For this reason alone, NFL made the shrewd move.
Well, I've already written 4-5 letters specifically about NFL Network to no avail, so it's not for lack of trying.
I used to call my cable provider 3-4 times a week, often drunk, to request this channel until they provided it. It took about three months and I'd like to believe I was directly responsible for it.
And then I moved and now I have rabbit ears.
finally a reason to watch that channel
Ok, what exactly does this mean now? Late season games?
So exactly what games will be on the NFL Network now?
It's a small Thursday night/Saturday night late season package. Like 8 games. Is a good idea as long as NFL Network can be on as many as homes as possible.
The package is only for the last week of the season? 8 games per week or 8 games total?
This is the first time I've heard of this. They didn't do any thursday night games besides the season opener did they? Or is it something like the last 4 weeks in the season they will have one thursday night and one saturday night per week making it 8 total?
I think its the last 4 weeks with 2 games per week...something like that. The pitch's specifics were up in the air depending on what network got the package and how they would market it.
Does FOX still get the early saturday afternoon games?
yup, sunday afternoon remains unchanged.
Macnow on WIP brought up a good question.
This doesn't concern me since I have NFL Network, but if the Eagles are on the one of these packages, then what happens to the Eagles fans who don't have NFL Network.
Will it just be on a local station?
Yes. Most likely on ABC, since they have the local deal with the Eagles. I mentioned that above.
My cable provider just dropped NFL network, and all I ever hear on the radio now is commercials for Dish, advertising that they don't want to alienate their NFL fans, so they will NEVER drop the NFL channel. I used to watch that channel now and again, and I'm pretty pissed that Charter took it off.
I'm sure they have received hundreds of calls in the last month, especially since it's being flaunted on dish commercials that Charter ditched it. I hope this action puts it back on my local line-up.
Quote from: Philly Forever on January 27, 2006, 09:33:44 PM
Macnow on WIP brought up a good question.
This doesn't concern me since I have NFL Network, but if the Eagles are on the one of these packages, then what happens to the Eagles fans who don't have NFL Network.
Will it just be on a local station?
I caught the portion of his show on my way into work. If I had time to call I would've because he was trippin' about the NFL overexposing themselves and he thought it would be a season long thing.
It will only be later in the year. It has to be because of the anti-trust exemption the NFL has. If they televised national games on Thursday and Saturday and NCAA games were on at the same time they'd be in a heap o' shtein. Thats why no one saw the MIA-KC hurricane game in Miami.
It's actually a rule that the NFL cannot air games on Friday or Saturday during high school and college football season. Like it goes all the way up the government, not just some "gentlemans agreement" the NFL, NCAA and high school sports cooked up.
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 11:14:28 AM
It's actually a rule that the NFL cannot air games on Friday or Saturday during high school and college football season. Like it goes all the way up the government, not just some "gentlemans agreement" the NFL, NCAA and high school sports cooked up.
Glad to know our government is involved in this vital issue.
They are, it's in order to promote and keep collegiate and high school football intact. You figure the if the NFL wanted to, they could put a handful of games on both friday and saturday and totally weed out other forms of football.
Quote from: MDS on January 28, 2006, 11:35:29 AM
They are, it's in order to promote and keep collegiate and high school football intact. You figure the if the NFL wanted to, they could put a handful of games on both friday and saturday and totally weed out other forms of football.
I doubt that. There are many areas of the country where college and even high school football is more popular than the NFL. Also, I don't think the NFL has a burning desire to destroy its farm system.
Apparently, we can rule out the Eagles playing on Thanksgiving Day next year. According to PFT.com, the NFL Network's package STARTS on Thanksgiving night--Washington @ Dallas--so apparently, the NFL already has scheduled this game--so it's a good bet if this is true that the NFL already has a good idea of it's opening weekend primetime schedule.
Not true. There will be 3 games on thanksgiving now, and obviously the Lions will somehow be invovled in one of them. There will be one more matchup....
this will somehow screw me out of watching eagles games...i know it.
my piece of crap cable company is about 15 years behind the times so there's no way they add nfl network...we just got digital cable 2-3 years ago.
um, yah, i'm officially confused with all this TV shtein. im just going to order sunday ticket again now that i'm outta south jersey. i doubt the eagles are gettin a bunch of national games next year.
All I know is that I have all channels involved with all this damn football swappin' shtein. As long as I don't miss an Eagles game becuase of it... I got no beef.
Tags said that Dallas and Detroit will continue to be on CBS and Fox, so the 3rd NFL Network game will be between two other teams.
Quote from: FFatPatt on January 22, 2006, 02:37:42 PM
Well, I will be pissed if my ghey cable provider doesn't add NFL Network pretty damn soon.
I can't say this enough to you people......
DIRECTV!!
Quote from: Syracuse on February 03, 2006, 02:19:49 PM
Quote from: FFatPatt on January 22, 2006, 02:37:42 PM
Well, I will be pissed if my ghey cable provider doesn't add NFL Network pretty damn soon.
I can't say this enough to you people......
DIRECTV!!
:yay
Doesn't make sense. Cable modem >>> DSL. I work at home full-time, so the superior connection is important. Because of bundled services, that means that I go with cable. Also, satellite would be a lot more expensive.
Quote from: FFatPatt on February 04, 2006, 07:20:38 PM
Doesn't make sense. Cable modem >>> DSL. I work at home full-time, so the superior connection is important. Because of bundled services, that means that I go with cable. Also, satellite would be a lot more expensive.
poor you
Quote from: FFatPatt on February 04, 2006, 07:20:38 PM
Doesn't make sense. Cable modem >>> DSL. I work at home full-time, so the superior connection is important. Because of bundled services, that means that I go with cable. Also, satellite would be a lot more expensive.
Goof to see youve got your priorities in order. ::)
NFL Network >>> Being able to function from home
Not a huge deal.
game I really want to see not on TV = excuse to go out and watch it
QuoteNFL | NFL Network talking to B. Gumbel
Fri, 24 Mar 2006 06:25:54 -0800
Andrew Marchand, of the New York Post, reports the NFL Network has had discussions with Bryant Gumbel about being the network's play-by-player on its new eight-game TV package next season, according to sources. Besides money, the other major issue is Gumbel's interest, considering he has limited play-by-play experience. At one time, he called golf for NBC.
that would be awful.
also, NFL Network had better get a HD channel running if they are going to broadcast games. or i will be one unhappy customer. i may even right a letter to my congressman!11!1!$@
explain this to me again...there are going to be regular season games on nfl network....how many and when
thursday and saturday night games, the last 4 weeks of the season, i believe
NFLN is definitely a little shy of quality personnel. Schefter is better than John Clayton or Len Pasquerelli, Eisen does a good job, but all the rest of the guys are pretty bad. Ike Reese is guest hosting this week and was doing a significantly better job than Rod Woodson.
P.S. It still sucks that Reese is not an Eagle. That is all.
Gumbel to Gumbel
i was upset when they cancelled that show
they cant find a better announcer than bryant gumbel?
Quote from: MDS on March 24, 2006, 12:05:39 PM
they cant find a better announcer than bryant gumbel?
apparantly not, if you think about it, who is out there that isn't already locked up by one of the networks?
personally, i'm hoping they do Harry Kalas and Larry Anderson in the 1st quarter, Graham and Wheeler in quarters 2 and 3, and Kalas/Anderson in the critical 4th quarter. that screams broadcasting gold.
they could borrow someone, its just 8 games.
Quote from: FFatPatt on March 24, 2006, 09:54:27 AM
NFLN is definitely a little shy of quality personnel. Schefter is better than John Clayton or Len Pasquerelli, Eisen does a good job, but all the rest of the guys are pretty bad. Ike Reese is guest hosting this week and was doing a significantly better job than Rod Woodson.
P.S. It still sucks that Reese is not an Eagle. That is all.
I saw that too. I remember it bugged me a little bit to see his name font come up and see the Falcons' logo on it. Then Rich says "Ike will welcome his new teammate, Lawyer Milloy to the Falcons..."
Disgusting.