Week 17 NFL Network game

[WashTimesReporter]

Hi there,

this is Tim Lemke and I am a sports business reporter with The Washington Times in D.C.

sorry to crash your board, but I am hoping to speak with some Pats fans about the league's decision to schedule the team's final game on the NFL Network. As you may know, the NFL Network isn't available to many cable subscribers, so there is the potential that the Pats final game won't be seen by a lot of fans, even if the team is looking to finish 16-0.

If you live in the Boston area, you'll get the game on over the air television. But if you live outside that market, you may be out of luck. I'd love to talk to some out-of-market Pats fans to get their thoughts on how they plan to watch the game if it's not available on their cable system. I'd also love to get some opinion on whether you think the league should move the game off of NFL Network to another broadcaster so the game can be seen nationally.

If you want to weigh in, I can be reached directly today at 202/636-3150 or tlemke [at] washingtontimes.com

Thanks for your time.
-Tim

 

[Charlotte Pats Fan]

Charlotte, NC
Neighbor's House
Yes

 

[xmarkd400x]

I live and work in the Springfield, MA area. I am considered "out of market".

I plan on watching the game at my girlfriend's parents house. He gets NFLN.

I will not every be buying a sports teir of cable programming at $20/mo to watch even a few games a year. And if the whole NFL were to go to paid programming only, it's possible that I would stop watching.

Legally speaking, the games are the NFL's product. They can do with it what they choose. However, they should stick to what made them money in the first place, and that's not TV networks.

 

[A.C Vegas]

I live in Rochester NH and while my cable company does have the NFL network it does not pay to carry the games on the network. so i will watch it on the simulcast on the local network

 

[primetime]

To be honest, the NFL Network should be on regular cable, or at least digital cable. What's going to make a cable company more money, advertisements on the Hallmark Movie Channel or on NFL Network? It's ridiculous that companies like Time Warner can't get the NFL Network onto their lineups. Luckily, I'll be at the game so it won't matter, but I'd have been extremely upset if I had to go to a bar or something to watch it. I have TW, and would love to have NFL Network so I can watch preseason, and now regular season, NFL games that I'd miss otherwise. Half the country isn't even going to get to see the third Thanksgiving game, or Packers-Cowboys, or a (hopefully) chance at 16-0 history with Giants-Pats. It's ridiculous.

I'm in Albany NY on Time Warner, by the way. No NFLN.

 

[amazinPats]

I live in Toledo, Ohio and watch every Patriot game. Most of the time, I have to go to sports bars to watch the game, but they've been a lot of games on regular channels this year. I do have NFL Network but am unsure as to whether I can watch the game. Last year, I had the NFL Network but it did NOT include live games. The cable company told me that it would be played in my local area on NFL Network. I will definitely be watching it.

 

[NYPatsFan]

I live in the New York metro area so I should be able to watch the game on regular TV. If not, I will watch it over my brother's SlingBox.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Live in Maryland
Directv - has NFL network
Sunday ticket for remaining games.....

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I watched this same pissing match back when I lived on Long Island between Cablevision and the YES network, of course I didn't care if I saw the Yankees. I used to do extra ordinary things to watch the Pats (like going onto my roof in Long Island to set up "bunny ears" to get the game out of Connecticut). I got Direct TV three years ago, and it is a football fans dream. HOWEVER, I'm spending the holidays at my in-laws and they have cable, and I'm screwed, it will be off to the sports bar for me.

This whole pissing contest can be traced back to the NFL Sunday ticket, the NFL has made it exclusive to Direct TV, and by not carrying the NFL Network is the cable companies way of getting back for that.

Cable has already lost all of the NFL fan subscribers they are going to lose, so I'm guessing that they will not cave in on this, HOWEVER, if the Pats are 15-0, I can't see the NFL not farming this the game out to an over the air network, they (the NFL) are just too smart to for that.

 

[patsox23]

I spoke with Tim. He was very nice, extremely professional and prepared, a good guy. Pretty funny to me that this dyed-in-the-wool Massachusetts Dem may get quoted in, of all places, The Washington Times.

 

[richpats]

Richmond, VA
Comcast HD cable (NFLN included)
Will be watching from my living room

Some think the cable companies are stiffing fans but in reality it's the NFL. The NFL Network is NOT a basic cable channel, and unless you pull for a successful team with a lot of history, it's essentially pointless. The NFL put games on the Network to legitimize its existence and pass it off as "basic cable-worthy" for the simple fact that it does carry games.

Cable companies are calling the NFL's bluff though. They don't care about ratings, just subscribers. 20 years ago people couldn't watch games on ESPN because they didn't have cable/satellite, so more people got satellite and cable expanded it's reach. Since NFLN is only on a premium package, people will have to start buying the premium package.

The NFL isn't going to expand the game to another network, that would be a concession of defeat.

 

[patological]

Tim--There was an excellent article on the NFLN/cable situation that appeared in the NY Times by Joe Nocera on November 10, 2007 in case you haven't seen it. The upshot is the cable companies don't want to force all subscribers to pay what would likely be a dollar extra for their cable fee which they feel is too much money for too little product.

Jerry Jones, the newly installed head of the owners’ NFL Network Committee, is running to the politiicans and regulators (FCC) to force the cable companies to carry the NFLN.

In addition, I suspect that the NFL will not allow any other network to carry the Pats/Giants game so they can use the bludgeon of some dissatified subscribers to force the cables to accept carriage of the NFLN on its terms.

 

[thechris]

I live in Dallas and I'll be watching the game at a sports bar.

 

[Igotrange3]

The NFL shoudl be ashamed that a great % of the country won't be able to watch the Pats final step in their quest for perfection. It should be available for everyone to watch. It's something that doesn't happen in the NFL.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

The NFL needs simply to reduce the price of their packages. As a fan of the NFL living in the UK, my options are to pay $280.00 for a season-worth of games via the NFL and Yahoo!'s Game Pass service...and that's it. There are some games on premium sports networks, but it's even more expensive to get them over here than it was in the US and there is no consistency to which games you receive.

The NFL is an extremely successful league that doesn't struggle for money. The strongarm tactics they demonstrate by the jealous hoarding their product for exorbitant prices reeks of arrogance. Sayings only stand the test of time if they're true, and one applies here: Pride before a fall. As a Patriots fan I don't want to see the NFL fall any time soon.

 

[Fire_The_Muskets]

Worcester,MA
Charter Cable
NFLN is not available to me because my cable company wanted to charge its customers a fee above and beyond the premium channel tier that they offer, I believe it was 9.95/mth and the NFLN didnt want them to so they pulled it from charters broadcasting options.

Ill actually be at the game and if i wasnt i could catch it on our local broadcast station. I find those outside the area are getting screwed and shouldnt have to leave the comfort of their home to see something thats broadcasted for free somewhere else.

Back in the day when the patriots where terrible and didnt sell out the stadium, the local channels wouldnt even produce the game that sunday.

 

[sieglo]

I'll be watching via Slingbox or (more likely) driving from Philadelphia to my parents' place in MA.

 

[SeymoreButts]

I spoke with Tim. He was very nice, extremely professional and prepared, a good guy. Pretty funny to me that this dyed-in-the-wool Massachusetts Dem may get quoted in, of all places, The Washington Times.

LMAO! I am sorry to hear about your mental illness!

 

[SpiderFox53]

I'll be watching the game from the comfort of my living room in Pittsburgh. I have Directv which carries NFLN. If I didn't have directv, I would have basically no options to watch. No local bars carry anything but Steelers games (that I have found, there might be one out there but I doubt it), and I refuse to pay Comcasts rediculous prices.

 

[borg]

Florida
NFL Network...Yes...Comcast
What is the issue?
Practically every night, their are sporting events that are unavailable to a majority of the population. I don't hear cries for those people who don't receive 15 NBA games a night, or those unable to attach Dishes to their domiciles for the privelage of coughing up hundreds for all NFL games. The NFL is not a right, it is entertainment and the league can do with it what ever they want. If you are gonna write an article demanding access for all, why not ask for free pay per view, or free movie rentals also. Throw a little porn in while your at it.