NFLN files FCC complaint against Comcast

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

It seems like there's more than just price in this debate. ESPN is $2.96 while the NFLN is $0.60 and ESPN2 is $0.33. ESPN is certainly more popular than NFLN, but using the price criteria, shouldn't they be on the second tier - especialy if you group them with ESPN2, ESPNN, ESPNU and ESPNC? Maybe it's in part due to ESPN being owned by Disney, and there's a whole lot of back room local ABC deals, or Disney/ABC deals going on? Just a thought . .

ESPN carries more FOOTBALL games than the NFLN. And that is not all ESPN carries.

ESPN is "the sports channel" NFLN, the golf channel, YES, the soccer channel, the ruby channel, the water polo channel, ESPN2 thru ESPN8543, outdoor network, and the fishing channel are all niche channels.

 

[jmt57]

I've said this before - why should any cable company do anything the NFL wants? The NFL has screwed cable for years by making Sunday Ticket exclusive to one of their competitors. Wouldn't the majority of people who are most likely to watch the NFL Network already with DirecTV?

The NFL had an open bidding for those games, highest bid wins, with the understanding it would be exclusive. Comcast had a chance to outbid DirecTV but they decided not to. Then, after the fact, they tried to get Sunday Ticket and complained when they were unable to get it.

The NFL may have screwed up by making the Sunday Ticket exclusive but at that time nobody was interested in the contract unless it was just that - exclusive! Nobody thought it would be as popular as it was, and now Comcast wants in.

Yeah, it sucks for us that it's only on DirecTV, but let the other guys like Comcast and TimeWarner work out a licensing fee with DirecTV if they want it so bad. Do you think if Comcast had won the bidding they would give it up to everybody else out of the goodness of their heart and because they care about NFL fans? Based on the way they negotiate, that's a fairly easy question to answer.

 

[jmt57]

ESPN carries more FOOTBALL games than the NFLN. And that is not all ESPN carries.

ESPN is "the sports channel" NFLN, the golf channel, YES, the soccer channel, the ruby channel, the water polo channel, ESPN2 thru ESPN8543, outdoor network, and the fishing channel are all niche channels.

And ESPN at $2.96 still probably costs more than all those other channels you just mentioned combined.