Major TV problem looming immediately for the NFL

[ehh]

Sports bars across America will be very happy.

[EWRMETS]

NBATV is a premium channel, why wouldn't NFL Network be? The NFL is a joke. They want Sunday Ticket to be exclusive to DirectTv and then expect the cable companies to pay an exorbitant amount of money to carry their channel.

[Trevytrev11]

Quote: Originally Posted by MassNole

The NFL is the biggest pro sports league in America and it knows it, it charges the networks ridiculous money for the right to air its games. The NFL is doing nothing wrong here, the cable companies are.

**That right there pretty much sums it up. They are charging rediculous money and carrier don't want to and shouldn't have to pay it for a handful of games per year, which may or may not be quality. If the patriots lose a game between now and week 16, that Giants-Pats matchup won't be a big deal to most. The Pat's will likely have locked up homefield and their starters will be resting for most of the game. You can't expect a company to pay $$$ for the outside chance a team may go undefeated.
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I'm sure part of it is the cable companies getting back at the NFL for auctioning off one license for the NFL Season Ticket to the highest bidder (Direct TV) instead of letting all carriers offer it and the NFL just take a cut.

Now the NFL wants all of those companies who wouldn't pony up the hundreds of millions of dollars to offer the NFL Season Ticket to now pick up their exclusive network, which they are charging them a premium price for.

Those companies who choose to offer the package due so on their own merrit. We don't know if they are making or losing money as part of that deal. If it is going to cost you extra to offer it, you somehow have to be able to make that money back from your customers, who are going to bitch when they realize their cable bill just went up...again.

I don't see how the NFL can force a cable company to carry their network. It seems that they would gladly do so if they thought it was in the best interest for business.

Also, last year, for the most part, the NFL network carried a bunch of crappy games that drew no interest.

Personally, I don't blame the cable companies one bit. No one should be forced to offer a network. If you as a subscriber don't like the offerings of your company, you are at will to switch companies.

[RandyMoss84]

Quote: Originally Posted by EWRMETS

NBATV is a premium channel, why wouldn't NFL Network be? The NFL is a joke. They want Sunday Ticket to be exclusive to DirectTv and then expect the cable companies to pay an exorbitant amount of money to carry their channel.

the nba is no where near the nfl buddy. a televised NFL game will generate 3 times the money a NBA could bring

its the cable companies fault, they are suppose to pay a lot of money to get a lot of money, the networks pay a lot of money to televise those NFL games

[Stu]

I don't understand why people expect cable companies to give something that they have to pay extra for away for free. They're in business to make money. And no, "because satellite does it" is not a valid reason.

[Trevytrev11]

Quote: Originally Posted by RandyMoss84

the nba is no where near the nfl buddy. a televised NFL game will generate 3 times the money a NBA could bring its the cable companies fault, they are suppose to pay a lot of money to get a lot of money, the networks pay a lot of money to televise those NFL games

Yeah but the networks choose to pay that money, they are not forced to.

ABC no longer has MNF, because they chose not to pay what ESPN was willing to pay. It's not like the NFL can force whoever they want to pay for their product. Definitley not Capitalism.

[bkfount]

Quote: Originally Posted by MassNole

No, it makes no sense for Comca$t and the other cable companies to put the NFL Network on their premium packages and charge more.

actually, I believe the NFL charges cable companies for two tiers. One to carry the network, and another fee to carry live game broadcasts. My relatives have it on their cable provider, but they can't see live games. So people get told to watch nfl network, but some have to see nfl highlight shows instead.

The NFL gets what they deserve with this.

[jmood88]

Quote: Originally Posted by MassNole

The NFL is the biggest pro sports league in America and it knows it, it charges the networks ridiculous money for the right to air its games. The NFL is doing nothing wrong here, the cable companies are. Tell me how it is DirecTV and Dish Network can afford to allow the NFL-N to be part of their basic packages, whereas the larger cable companies cannot? Quite simply put, the cable networks are being greedy and the NFL is much more equipped to win this battle than Comcast.

That's what it's doing wrong. The cable companies don't have to have the nfl network in their packages and if people aren't watching it then the channel isn't going to make much money for NFL.