PFT: Tentative NBC Sunday Night "Flex" Schedule

[pats1]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

FLEX SCHEDULING NOT AS FLEXIBLE AS ADVERTISED​

Earlier on Tuesday (it feels like 12 hours ago with everything that's been going on) we spent some time on the looming concept of flexible scheduling, which in theory promises to give NBC the ability to pick on a weekly basis its Sunday night game for seven of the last eight weeks of the season.

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But according to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, the process isn't as flexible as first thought.

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NBC already has been given a tentative schedule of games by the NFL. Though NBC retains the ability to pick other games each week, NFL Senior V.P. for Media Operations Howard Katz told Sandomir that NBC won't get everything it wants.

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"We have to look at what losing a game will do to the competitive balance between CBS and FOX," Katz said. "NBC can't say, 'I want this game because it's unprotected.'"

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And as to the ability of FOX and CBS to block games, Sandomir also reports that FOX and CBS were required to exercise four of their "protections" after Week Four, for the games to be played during Week Ten through Week Fifteen. FOX and CBS will each be allowed to make their final blocks for Week Seventeen within six to 12 days before the December 31 games.

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It's a benefit to NBC, since a Week Fifteen game that justified protection after Week Four could go south, especially if one of the teams involved in the protected game loses its quarterback for the season. Still, as noted above, the fact that a game is unprotected doesn't mean that NBC will be able to snatch it.

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NBC's tentative schedule, per Sandomir, includes the Bears and Giants on November 12, the Redskins and Bucs on November 19, the Eagles and Colts on November 26, the Seahawks and Broncos on December 3, the Patriots and Dolphins on December 10, the Chiefs and Chargers on December 17, and the Steelers and Bengals on December 31.

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Another factor influencing this process is the limitation on the number of times a team may play in prime time. Five appearances on NBC, ESPN, and NFLN is the maximum, with three teams allowed to make a sixth appearance.​

...

So it looks like the Bears/Pats game may stay at 1:00 PM after all...

 

[MrTibbs]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm



So it looks like the Bears/Pats game may stay at 1:00 PM after all...

I hope so because Im going to the game and would hate to freeze my you know what off with an 8 O'Clock game.

 

[3 to be 4]

i cant tell you how disturbing Pink looks to me. Of all the women they could have gotten.......

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Anybody CBS and Fox would use to call the game would be a vast improvement over the Sunday night crew.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

i cant tell you how disturbing Pink looks to me. Of all the women they could have gotten.......

Shucks, you just don't like defensive linemen.

 

[hallfamebrady]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm



So it looks like the Bears/Pats game may stay at 1:00 PM after all...

Not so fast.....

The game can still be moved to 4:15 PM. Fox has the Sunday 1 / 4 rights for the Pats that week. NFL.com lists Fox as having the 4:15 national game of the week with the game being TBA. If you look at the schedule, you will notice all of Fox's games are listed for 1 PM starts. One will have to be moved.

My guess. The Pats / Bears and Colts / Eagles will both be moved into either the 4:15 or 8:15 time slots.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/tv/national

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/schedule#12

 

[edgecy]

I hope it moves into Sunday Night Football because that will probably be the only way I will catch it in my area. Nothing like ruining a perfect season

 

[PatsRI]

Patriots/Dolphins? Redskins/Bucs? Chiefs/Chargers? If NBC wants to stick with that lineup then they get what they deserve. Obviously I'll watch the Pats game but those other two? No way. I thought the point was to pick the best games.

On Nov 19th I can come up with at least 5 better games then WAS/TB:
ATL/BAL CIN/NO IND/DAL SD/DEN STL/CAR

On Dec 10th 5 games better then Pats/MIA :
IND/JAX NO/DAL NYG/CAR PHI/WAS DEN/SD

On Dec 17th 3 games better then KC/SD:
PHI/NYG PIT/CAR WAS/NO

NFL Shedule:
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/schedules

 

[brdmaverick]

Patriots/Dolphins? Redskins/Bucs? Chiefs/Chargers? If NBC wants to stick with that lineup then they get what they deserve. Obviously I'll watch the Pats game but those other two? No way. I thought the point was to pick the best games.

On Nov 19th I can come up with at least 5 better games then WAS/TB:
ATL/BAL CIN/NO IND/DAL SD/DEN STL/CAR

On Dec 10th 5 games better then Pats/MIA :
IND/JAX NO/DAL NYG/CAR PHI/WAS DEN/SD

On Dec 17th 3 games better then KC/SD:
PHI/NYG PIT/CAR WAS/NO

NFL Shedule:
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/schedules

I definitely agree with the fact that they could have better games on those particular weeks. Hopefully those were their choices during the preseason and hopefully those will change.

Of course, it could also be that they would HAVE to go with those games based on the five game max for teams to be on primetime.

 

[Keegs]

I have a very important question since i work Sundays 11am to 11pm
The only game i am guaranteed seing is the sunday night ones.

when is the time we will know The Sunday night Scheduling?
is it all last minute?
will we know soon when the pats bears game is?

 

[PatsRI]

I have a very important question since i work Sundays 11am to 11pm
The only game i am guaranteed seing is the sunday night ones.

when is the time we will know The Sunday night Scheduling?
is it all last minute?
will we know soon when the pats bears game is?

up til 12 days before the game to be changed.

 

[Tunescribe]

My hunch is that Fox will protect Pats/Bears and move it to 4:15. I loathe those 4:15 games -- not day, not night, and eating up both.

 

[richpats]

I have a 9am flight out of Fort Lauderdale the morning after Pats/Fins - thanks NFL.

 

[Crowpointer]

My hunch is that Fox will protect Pats/Bears and move it to 4:15. I loathe those 4:15 games -- not day, not night, and eating up both.

For tailgating I like the 4:15 the best. We'll have the 1:00 game on the TV as we're grilling. Plus I like drinking at noon versus 9:00 when the lot opens. When the game ends we have burgers and dogs and watch the 5th quarter. The nights are the worst. I hate getting home late (usually after 1) and having to get up and work the next day.

 

[Keegs]

up til 12 days before the game to be changed.

I think it sucks.
I mean it is nice that they can change the time slots, but if cbs and fox can request/protect a certain amount of games, NBC doesn't really get a nice one after all.

How many games can cbs and fox protect??
Is this number per week or per season?

anyone?