NFL Battles XOS and potentially million dollar fees

[rudyjuly2]

Anyone else find it ironic that the NFL is complaining about having to pay for something valuable to them when it was free in the past? They create a TV network and package for the NFL-N trying to strong arm cable companies in order to receive millions and now are crying foul when the shoe is on the other foot.

And their argument that their advisory committee is as valuable as these tapes is ludicrous. Most kids can find out very easily where they will be drafted without the NFL's help but the NFL will really miss game footage if they can't get it.

"The NFL's college advisory committee may find it next to impossible to render informed opinions on the readiness of juniors who are potential 2010 draft prospects because the league has been locked in a multi-million dollar standoff with a Boston-area company that produces and disseminates digitized content of NCAA games for eight major conferences, league sources told SI.com.

According to those sources, XOS Technologies, based in Billerica, Mass., requested the NFL pay a rights fee between $20 million and $30 million for a multi-year commitment to electronically receive the coaches' tape content for itself and its 32 teams. That content -- which shows the entire alignment of both the offense and defense on each play, shot from the end zone -- was formerly supplied free of charge in video tape form by schools as a mutually beneficial consideration between the NFL and NCAA. That's changed now."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...nfl/index.html

[snepp]

The NFL is a big bitch, just like any other large corporation.

Hopefully they get taken behind the woodshed on this.

[J0nnD0ugh]

I say make 'em pay thru the nose.

[SPTO]

Ah the NFL....Think they can bully everyone. Hopefully they will be forced to pay a huge fee.