Pats' historic game to be available to all of America, after all

[BengalszoneBilly]

Now even I can watch and root against New England!

Patriots' historic game to be available to all of America, after all

By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer

December 26, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- After weeks of insisting they wouldn't cave in, NFL officials did just that Wednesday. Now all of America can see the Patriots' shot at history.

Saturday night's game between New England and the New York Giants on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes with TVs, will be simulcast on CBS and NBC.

The Patriots could become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in the regular season.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement after the league announced it was reversing course. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky said officials would have no further comment Wednesday.

The NFL had claimed that the onus of making the game widely available fell on the major cable providers with which the league has bitterly feuded. Companies such as Comcast and Time Warner have declined to carry the network as part of basic packages.

But lawmakers have pressured the NFL to ensure more viewers could see the game. Last week, two prominent members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Goodell threatening to reconsider the league's antitrust exemption.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who co-wrote the letter with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he was "delighted" by the NFL's concession.

"I think it was a smart move on their part," he said in a phone interview.

Leahy expected to speak with Goodell again next month about the ongoing question of how many fans will be able to see games on the channel. Saturday's matchup wraps up the NFL Network's second season of airing live contests, with eight per year. This one and a key Thursday night game between Green Bay and Dallas last month drew widespread complaints about the lack of availability.

"I never completely gave up hope, but I was getting a little discouraged Christmas afternoon when we still had not gotten a positive answer," said Leahy, who added that his staff members were talking with NFL officials during the holiday.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas that were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it. That means viewers in those markets will have four channels to choose from if they get NFL Network.

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of an NFL game since the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC televised the meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

"We're happy to accommodate the NFL's request for a joint national simulcast of this potentially historic game to make it available to the widest possible audience," said Dick Ebersol, NBC Universal's chairman for sports and Olympics.

NBC was scheduled to air "Dateline NBC" and a repeat of "Law & Order: SVU" during the time slot. CBS was set to broadcast the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "48 Hours: Mysteries."

[COB]

Goodell got in the ring with some real heavyweights. Despite his tough talk about this being done for the fans, this move is essentially a standing 8 count for him.

[ArmyBengal]

New York has nothing to play for in this game. Their playoff matchup is locked and can't see them risking injury to for the chance to knock another team from the ranks of the unbeaten. What good does it do to be able to say you beat the Patriots, if you can't win your first playoff game ?? Don't get me wrong, I'm really hoping to see the Patriots lose this game, but it's looking less and less likely...

Anyone else happy Dillon doesn't play for them anymore ?? I f*cking hate these guys. Funny how the Patriots have moved into my top 5 hated teams in the league so QUICKLY !!!

WHODEY !!!

[redsbengalsbucks]

I see this as a win for the NFL network, they are getting their product broadcast on two additional networks and TimeWarner does not get to rob viewers of hard earned money just to watch it.

Seems as if the NFL just sidestepped the allmighty cable companies.

[agreen_112]

Go Pats!!!

[theWarden86]

Go Pats!!!

BS!

I want to see the elusive Big Blue Wrecking Crew show up on Saturday, rather than the chumps who've been showing up in Giants uniforms most weeks. "Let's Go G-Men!!!"

[BengalszoneBilly]

I see this as a win for the NFL network, they are getting their product broadcast on two additional networks and TimeWarner does not get to rob viewers of hard earned money just to watch it.

Seems as if the NFL just sidestepped the allmighty cable companies.

Boy, did you get it totally wrong RBB. The Cable Companies were NOT side stepped by the NFL. They were steadfast in their efforts to NOT raise rates to customers. If there are any robbers in this mess, it's the NFL!

How Cable Sacked the NFL

The NFL punted. It may be the most powerful sports league in the country, but it failed to stiff-arm the big cable companies into carrying the NFL Network on the league's terms. So sophomore NFL commish Roger Goodell made a veteran call in deciding to let NBC and CBS simulcast Saturday night's New England Patriots-New York Giants game. That game, in case you never get past Discovery Channel, could produce the NFL's first 16-0 season if the favored Pats dispatch the Giants, who have already qualified for the playoffs. "We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," Goodell said.

The NFL hasn't backed down from its game plan to force cable giants Cablevision and Time Warner Cable (which is controlled by TIME's parent, Time Warner), to pay up something like 70 cents a subscriber and make the NFL Network part of the basic programming tier. That would in turn prompt the cable companies to raise rates by at least as much. The cable guys have refused that price, leaving the NFL Network either without a channel or relegated to the sports tier by Comcast for a monthly fee, potentially depriving the league of hundreds of millions in revenue. "The only channel devoted 24/7 to America's favorite sport is not programming that should be relegated to a poorly promoted, pay-extra sports tier that takes advantage of our fans' passion for the NFL," huffed Steve Bornstein, the NFL Network's boss.

The cable guys have refused to meet the NFL's asking price because other than the eight Thursday night games that the NFL Network broadcasts, the rest of the programming is second string — and that's being kind. They also didn't like the fact that the NFL has so far refused to sell the cable outfits its Sunday Ticket package, available only on satellite, which lets viewers watch any NFL game. Goodell attempted a beautiful end around by offering the Pats-Giants game to Time Warner Cable and Cablevision in return for all parties entering into binding arbitration to resolve the carriage issue. But the cable guys weren't biting at the prospect of a zero-sum outcome.

This in itself created some historic irony — the cable companies absolutely refusing to impose a price increase on their hapless customers. And that isn't the only strange play in this gridiron battle. The league has succeeded in accomplishing something unique, something unheard of in the history of modern media: getting consumers and politicians to side with the cable companies.

Sen. Arlen Specter was hearing from constituents in Western Pennsylvania who were going to get shut out of the Steelers-St. Louis Rams game on Dec. 20, critical to the Steelers playoff hopes. In Western Pennsylvania only two things matter in the fall: deer season and the Men of Steel. So Specter shot off little note to Goodell co-authored by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, whose constituents were now faced with the prospect of watching the snow pile up instead of the Pats running it up against the Giants this Saturday. Their message: if the NFL would like to keep its antitrust immunity intact, perhaps it had better play ball with everyone. "Now that the NFL is adopting strategies to limit distribution of game programming to their own networks, Congress may need to reexamine the need and desirability of their continued exemption from the Nation's antitrust laws," warned a letter to Goodell from the solons. Sen. John Kerry also blitzed, inviting Goodell to discuss the situation before the Senate Commerce Committee.

So the Commish caved, and basically gave the game away to two of its national broadcast partners, CBS and NBC; as the league has done with all its Network games, the local stations in the home markets of both teams will also still get to air the broadcast. "We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever." In other words, Goodell is playing defense now, but the business game of NFL Network vs. Cable is far from over. Hey, the man didn't get where he is by playing without a helmet.

[ArmyBengal]

This is another one I can argue both sides on...

It would at least be historic to watch the Pat go undefeated and lets face it, regardless of what you think about them, they have had a monster season !!!

On the other hand, I can't say it would bother me in the least to see a (minor) injury that caused the Pats their prized undefeated season to go up in flames !!!

Here's to hoping the Giant's just show up ready to kick the snot out of the Pats !!! (NOT holding breath !!!)

WHODEY !!!

[HairOnFire]

The Cable Companies were NOT side stepped by the NFL. They were steadfast in their efforts to NOT raise rates to customers. If there are any robbers in this mess, it's the NFL!

Agreed. The NFL hasn't lost the war, but it's fair to say they just lost another battle. Their strongarm attempts have repeatedly failed, their offer to compromise was flatly rejected, and all that was left for them to gain were a few meaningless public relations points.

I just listened to an interview with Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly attempted to bring pressure on the NFL to settle this dispute. According to Kerry the NFL is attempting to follow through on a plan that MLB just abandoned, one that increasingly forces fans to not only pay for the right to watch certain games, but is rooted in a strategy of forcing fans to purchase programing packages that are far more inclusive than they want. In short, in order to get what you want you'll have to pay for plenty of things you couldn't care less about.

Kerry claimed that the NFL primary intent is to build the NFL Network and it's website, NFL.com, into powerful media outlets that offer exclusive content that will increasingly have to be paid for. Thus, games on the NFL Network that can't be viewed unless the fan purchases a programming package from DirecTV....and the exclusive use of video clips provided by NFL.com.

[redsbengalsbucks]

The Cable Companies were NOT side stepped by the NFL. They were steadfast in their efforts to NOT raise rates to customers. If there are any robbers in this mess, it's the NFL!

Agreed. The NFL hasn't lost the war, but it's fair to say they just lost another battle. Their strongarm attempts have repeatedly failed, their offer to compromise was flatly rejected, and all that was left for them to gain were a few meaningless public relations points.

I just listened to an interview with Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly attempted to bring pressure on the NFL to settle this dispute. According to Kerry the NFL is attempting to follow through on a plan that MLB just abandoned, one that increasingly forces fans to not only pay for the right to watch certain games, but is rooted in a strategy of forcing fans to purchase programing packages that are far more inclusive than they want. In short, in order to get what you want you'll have to pay for plenty of things you couldn't care less about.

Kerry claimed that the NFL primary intent is to build the NFL Network and it's website, NFL.com, into powerful media outlets that offer exclusive content that will increasingly have to be paid for. Thus, games on the NFL Network that can't be viewed unless the fan purchases a programming package from DirecTV....and the exclusive use of video clips provided by NFL.com.

This is not the case, the NFL and Big Ten networks are free on the package that direcTV has. There is no extra charge, like the cable comnpanies wish to impose on thier viewers. This is the holdup on the NFL and the Big Ten network being shown on cable, both networks are demanding that viewers do not have to purchase extra packages to view thier programming. Hopefully both networks continue to fight for free viewing of thier programming.

This seems to be another example of the power of the spin that money can put on any issue, the facts of this issue are never actually represented correctly by the media. (most of which just happens to be owned by the same corporations as the cable companies) Hopefully this will be the beginning of the end to the power of the cable networks, thier product is old tech and thier service is used as a metaphor for slow and inadequate.

[Horsemen]

the NFL is attempting to follow through on a plan that MLB just abandoned, one that increasingly forces fans to not only pay for the right to watch certain games, but is rooted in a strategy of forcing fans to purchase programing packages that are far more inclusive than they want.

They been doing this already for several years. It's called NFL Sunday Ticket. Unless you have it(for $200/yr), or live near your favorite team you won't see your favorite team, or for that matter full games 1/4 of the time. If it's a decent team(like say a rare Indy day game when they're say 6-0 or 7-0, for example) you'll get maybe 3 quarters of the game before you're suddenly watching the Raiders get beat by Sacramento High School or whatever. The rest of the time you either get the Raiders game and the Broncos game, Raiders/Cardinals, or Broncos/Cardinals. Sometimes ALL you'll get is one of those games in the AM then whatever the sunday night game is.

Kerry is right. Yes yes the NFL wants us to have the NFL Network "for free", for now maybe. It won't be that much longer we'll have to pay more for it just like the lame sunday ticket deal, and where to go from there? Well obviously once it's on all the networks and what not it's gonna be no different then CBS or NBC games. Just they'll have the 2nd to last teams on there so you'll still have to buy their sunday ticket. What next after that, the SuperBowl gonna go to PPV? Gonna have to shell out $75 or $100 to watch it each year too?

[BengalszoneBilly]

This is not the case, the NFL and Big Ten networks are free on the package that direcTV has.

I seriously doubt any service on either Direct TV, or Cable is "free". The NFL Network does come standard on the basic Direct TV package, which in my area of Arizona costs more than the cable basic package without the NFL Network.

[jjakq27]

My fear is that at some point, perhaps when the current contract runs out, the NFL will begin making fewer games available to the mass media and make us go through them to watch the games. If something like that happens I think they are making a big mistake.

[BengalszoneBilly]

My fear is that at some point, perhaps when the current contract runs out, the NFL will begin making fewer games available to the mass media and make us go through them to watch the games. If something like that happens I think they are making a big mistake.

That is exactly where these greed driven bastards are going. Don't be fooled.

[redsbengalsbucks]

This is not the case, the NFL and Big Ten networks are free on the package that direcTV has.

I seriously doubt any service on either Direct TV, or Cable is "free". The NFL Network does come standard on the basic Direct TV package, which in my area of Arizona costs more than the cable basic package without the NFL Network.

They both were added to the basic package with no increase in price, thus free.

Your cable company must be much cheaper than the one in my area, I have Stars plus and the science channel upgrades with an extra receiver on my DirecTV system and it is still cheaper than basic cable, unless it is the four months of my NFL ticket payment.

[redsbengalsbucks]

My fear is that at some point, perhaps when the current contract runs out, the NFL will begin making fewer games available to the mass media and make us go through them to watch the games. If something like that happens I think they are making a big mistake.

That is exactly where these greed driven bastards are going. Don't be fooled.

As long as the channels stay on basic packages with no increases, there will be no extra costs involved.

This is exactly what the NFL and The Big Ten have been pushing for in thier talks with the cable companies, they dont want viewers to pay extra fees to view thier products. DirecTV agreed to these terms, that is why they have been able to show these channels and use it to gain more customers.

[COB]

They both were added to the basic package with no increase in price, thus free.

The phone call must have gone something like this:

Roger Goodell: "Hi CEO of DirecTv! How do you like your monthly revenue stream?"

DirecTV CEO: "Hi Roger! I like it a lot! Our subscriber base is about 17 million now."

Roger Goodell: "Ok, at about a dollar a subscriber, how would you like to reduce your monthly revenue by $17,000,000.00? Thus reducing your yearly revenue by about Two Hundred Forty Million Dollars?"

DirecTV CEO: "Sounds good!"