The worst part on opening on MNF

[ScottieC]

Ridiculous parking fees
Astronomical ticket prices
PSLs
Games only available on NFLN
Overpriced Sunday Ticket
Ridiculous markups on merchandise
Needless limitations of customer speech (think signs, etc.)

All of this and more, yet the customer base keeps shelling out the money and putting up with the nonsense. Now the league wants to add games to the schedule so that games can be played on foreign soil, whether or not there is any value at all the the vast majority of current customers.

The NFL cares about money. It abuses its customers at every turn. It can get away with it because the customers keep coming back for more abuse. We've seen this in baseball, too, and I'm not singling out the NFL. Until the customers stop patronizing the leagues, the screwing of the fans will continue.

All your points are valid and true - it's hard to stop following something that you grew up with.

The Patriots are more than just a football team to my family - The NFL knows that dynamic and are capitalizing on that fan dedication.

It is what it is, I guess.

 

[tombonneau]

So they split the games between ESPN & NFLN? What game do the Pats have? NFLN? I hope not. Time Warner still isn't carrying it ...

 

[Patriots2001]

I wish the season was starting right now.

 

[supafly]

So they split the games between ESPN & NFLN? What game do the Pats have? NFLN? I hope not. Time Warner still isn't carrying it ...

Not sure how they do it up there, you'd have to refer back to last yr's Jets game on NFLN--but down here in Sh!ttsburgh if the game is on NFLN the local affiliate picks it up too, for those in the area without NFLN

Basically you should still be able to see any Pats games that are on NFLN, even if you don't have NFLN--as long as you're in the New England area

 

[PatsFanInEaglesLand]

Comcast can stick it. They have no problem charging customers for their "sports channels" Golf and Versus on basic tier. Funny they or their senator never tells anyone about that.

 

[ScottieC]

ProFootballTalk.com - NFL Network Advises Viewers Of May 1 Comcast Divorce

Well, there ya go Comcast folks. Florio just jumped on it, hope it helps - but I don't think it will.

 

[tombonneau]

Not sure how they do it up there, you'd have to refer back to last yr's Jets game on NFLN--but down here in Sh!ttsburgh if the game is on NFLN the local affiliate picks it up too, for those in the area without NFLN

Basically you should still be able to see any Pats games that are on NFLN, even if you don't have NFLN--as long as you're in the New England area

Well I live in LA so I won't get the benefit of the local feed. I guess I'll have to go over to a friends place with DirecTV or just go to a sports bar.

 

[Tunescribe]

I just spoke with a Comcast customer rep who said there are no definite plans to drop NFLN. She said the company is "negotiating" with the NFL and claims by people that the network gets axed May 1 are just rumor.

 

[jmt57]

Comcast is hardly the poor victim of the NFL's strongarm tactics that they, or some here, would have us believe. If anything, it's the other way around. They have a huge amount of power, providing telephone, cable and internet service in multiple markets - often either dominating that market or even being the sole provider. In addition they not only are the owner of the service, but also own the content being provided (owning several cable networks); that's like owning the area's brewery, liquor store and bar.

Comcast wanted to be part owner of NFLN when the network was first being developed. Tagliabue said no and Comcast has acted like a jealous spurned lover over since. Though personally I don't understand why the NFLN doesn't lower its subscription rate from the current sixty cents to something Comcast could live with; seems to me that five times as many viewers would make up for the lower rates the NFLN would get - plus they could make it up by charging higher ad rates.

This news (or rumor) is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[jmt57]

Not sure how they do it up there, you'd have to refer back to last yr's Jets game on NFLN--but down here in Sh!ttsburgh if the game is on NFLN the local affiliate picks it up too, for those in the area without NFLN

Basically you should still be able to see any Pats games that are on NFLN, even if you don't have NFLN--as long as you're in the New England area

I'm fairly certain the 'dual coverage' applies only to 'local' games, but does apply in all markets. In other words if the Pats are on a cable network (espn or nfln), the game will be televised on Boston and Providence non-cable, 'over-the-air' local channels. However, that only applies to the two teams playing that game and their markets. For people in any market other than Boston/Providence, and the team they are playing, the game would be on NFLN, and only NFLN. If the game is between the Eagles and Cowboys for example, only Philly and Dallas markets would get the game on a local channel.

 

[Angry Man]

We're getting the same message up here in Minnesota. The only good news is that this whole situation is happening in the off season after draft week. Hopefully a deal is reached between Comcast and NFLN which is what typically happens in the cable/sat industry anyways. Even if we do lose the NFLN it will be only for a short period at most. If any news breaks we always have various reliable websites along with these forums to keep up with what is going on.

Though personally I don't understand why the NFLN doesn't lower its subscription rate from the current sixty cents to something Comcast could live with; seems to me that five times as many viewers would make up for the lower rates the NFLN would get - plus they could make it up by charging higher ad rates.

I totally agree with this jmt57. Especially when the NFLN has their exclusive games they would more than make up for lower subscription rates with the ad revenue.

 

[THE SLAMMER]

I am sure the network is cashing in on the return of Tom Brady and the first game for T.O. in a Buffalo uniform.

This game will draw a large National crowd, I am sure.

Should be interesting on whom receives the most camera shots on the sidelines (lol)

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It seems to me that the NFL has plenty to do with managing Owners, Players, the CBA and the integrity of the game on the field, without getting into the Television business. The League's track record on those issues hasn't been stellar (to say the least) in recent years. I'd prefer that the NFL focus on getting the important things right first.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I am sure the network is cashing in on the return of Tom Brady and the first game for T.O. in a Buffalo uniform.

This game will draw a large National crowd, I am sure.

Should be interesting on whom receives the most camera shots on the sidelines (lol)

Yeah, they'll probably have a "Knee Cam" and a "Tantrum Cam."

Unfortunately, the weather will probably be mild at the Blade. As one writer put it the other day (paraphrasing here), I can't wait for TO's histrionics during the first 9,000 degree below zero game in Buffalo when he hasn't had a ball thrown his way in an hour and is freezing his pouting face on the sidelines. Then, he'll probably drop the next pass that comes his way and blame it on the cold. All is good for Pats' fans on this score. A great case of "subtraction by addition."

 

[DaBruinz]

Verizon isn't loosing NFLN, so im good. Now if FiOS would just get the Sunday ticket.... but thats not possible til 2020 or something like that.....

The current contract for Sunday Ticket on DirecTV runs through 2012. Then the NFL will put it up for bid again. The reason DirecTV won it this last time is because they bid 700 million to have it. The next highest bid was only 350 million.

That being said, Verizon was not part of the bidding process and it could be very interesting if they get involved, though they may not have the requisite number of subscribers by that time.

 

[DaBruinz]

NFLN charges Comcast a buck for every subscriber that gets NFLN. So to get their buck back, they put NFLN in a group with some other high priced networks.

What NFLN wants is for Comcast to give it to all subscribers for free. That way NFLN gets a buck for every single cable subscriber. Comcast doesn't want to raise the basic rate a buck when 95% of their subscribers don't care a fig about NFLN.

Comcast is in a battle with satellite TV for subscribers, and have to keep the basic rate as low as possible.

NFLN, though, is aligned with Direct TV, and is pushing that service.

NFL Network is not a Comcast site, it is an NFLN site trying to get people to order Direct TV.

They are all money grubbers. I spent years hating cable companies, and now that I see someone like NFLN so greedy they are actually screwing the cable company, I have mixed emotions. Yeah, it's good to see the cable company get screwed. But of course, the screwing just gets passed on to the consumer.

I pay the extra fee for NFLN on Comcast. It's about $5. Yeah, it would be cheaper if NFLN "won" and Comcast gave it to everyone for a buck. But you know as soon as that happened and it worked, other networks would pull the same stunt, and the basic service would go up a buck every cokuple months as they moved channel after channel from premium to basic.

As there is one thing you can be sure of: if any company is charged a buck for a service, they are going to charge the consumber $1.10, because companies are in the busniess of making money, not losing it.

Blech.

Space - A few things.

1) NFLN would only be 81 cents per subscriber.
2) CNN is currently paid more than any other channel at over $1 per subscriber.
3) ALL the companies (Comcast, Verizon, DirecTV, etc) have the technology to charge people on a per channel basis. They just refuse to do so because it would mean losing money in the long run.


As you mentioned, its all a money power play.

 

[DESERTPAT]

besides that we have to wait till monday to open the season, is that i have to watch that joke of a network all day for the game.. Hope that is the only game on that crap channel.. :snob:

Why do you have to watch all day? Turn it on @ game time and shut it off after the game.

 

[mosslost]

All of the NFL Sunday Ticket nonsense is infuriating to me, because I can't get DirecTV.

My apartment faces the wrong way, and I am not allowed to put the dish on the roof.:disagreement:

 

[feldspar]

I don't understand this thread. I know about all the BS between Comcast and the NFL Network, but is this game going to be broadcast on ESPN or the NFL Network?

I HATE the NFL Network because I can't get it. When it first came out, I had it for a few weeks, and then they yanked it from my cable package...kind of like dangling a carrot in front of me. I hate the NFL Network because I can't watch the Thursday and Saturday games later in the season unless I go to a bar. Those games are ALL on the NFL Network. That's a hugely alienating move by the NFL to place those game outside of a lot of people's reach.

For these reasons, I don't feel guilty for accessing the games in certain ways without the NFL's expressed written consent.

 

[THE SLAMMER]

Yeah, they'll probably have a "Knee Cam" and a "Tantrum Cam."

Unfortunately, the weather will probably be mild at the Blade. As one writer put it the other day (paraphrasing here), I can't wait for TO's histrionics during the first 9,000 degree below zero game in Buffalo when he hasn't had a ball thrown his way in an hour and is freezing his pouting face on the sidelines. Then, he'll probably drop the next pass that comes his way and blame it on the cold. All is good for Pats' fans on this score. A great case of "subtraction by addition."

There are two main factors here on T.O.

#1 T.O's main value is to take away double coverage on Lee Evans

#2 James Hardy( Buffalo's 2nd round selection in 2008) was injured (Knee) in his rookie season, and he may not be 100% until mid season.

Just my opinion