Tonight's Packers/Cowboys game is the second biggest of the season (first being the Colts/Pats), but will only be available to 1/3 of households. The NFL is not letting most cable companies add the NFL network into a tier and as such they are balking at adding it on. Multiply $.70*12*(number of cable subscribers) to find out why the NFL wants it on the basic cable package.

I am on BrightHouse's side, but it's completely frustrating that I can't chip in a few bucks around this time of year and get NFL Network HD. I'd even pay a small PPV fee for a game like this. But right now there is no way for me to get even the SD version of the game tonight. I hope the NFL enjoys the dismal ratings for this showdown.

Yeah, a lot of controversy on their end (NFL). They seemingly only want the satellite companies to provide their service. With cable competition going around now, it is not a pretty situation as to which company gets what and what tier they'll be on.

Maybe things will get a little "simpler" with analog going away in 09 :lol:.

sorry but this is crap, and i'm really hoping they get horrible ratings

Maybe things will get a little "simpler" with analog going away in 09 :lol:.

That doesn't have any bearing on cable systems. It's just OTA transmissions that are being forced to go digital (which is a good thing, it will free up a ton of spectrum for 4G wireless technology and almost everyone will get better picture quality).

The NFL is trying to get $8.40 a year from 75m people. For 8 football games. Do the math, it's ridiculous (~$80m per game!). And that's just the cash from cable companies, ad sales would bring in tens of millions per game on top of that.

I sure do love my FIOS.

http://askmerv.choice3realty.com/images/Fios___Verizon_logo.jpg
NFL Network HDTV Channel 828

Go Packers!
http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/1129/nfl_ap_favre_romo_412.jpg

^^
And BH gets left out of the HD...that's b.s.

This is going to become a shit storm this week... The Patriots / Giants game is on NFL Network this Saturday. If they win they will be the only team to ever go 16-0 and only the second undefeated team ever. Biggest game of the season by far and if the Pats win will be one of the biggest of all time.

I guess I'm going out on Saturday night to watch the game.

Holy shit, you've got to be kidding me. My roommate and I ( a big Giants fan) have been looking forward to that game for weeks. It never occurred to me that the NFL would be so dumb as to put a marquee game essentially under lock and key. Oh well, their loss, not mine.

Holy shit, you've got to be kidding me. My roommate and I ( a big Giants fan) have been looking forward to that game for weeks. It never occurred to me that the NFL would be so dumb as to put a marquee game essentially under lock and key. Oh well, their loss, not mine.

They lucked out with the schedule since it wouldn't have been such a big deal if NE wasn't able to run the table (which no one knew back when the schedule was set). Regardless, it's amazing to me that they are letting this happen. What other sport hides their biggest games? Even boxing lets people PPV.

It's not often I root for the cable company, but I definitely see their point. The NFL Network has 8 worthy events per year, that's not nearly enough compelling content to charge *every* subscriber $8 a year. But I'm afraid they are going to succeed in extorting the cable co's. They have had unbelievable luck in getting the big matchups this year.

Anyway, I'm betting this is the sports/media story of the week.

I actually hope the cable companies win, and only take the NFL Network on a PPV basis.

(I'm one of those people who favors PPV cable, not the prepackaged shit we get now, which has us paying for like 100 channels we never watch.)

I actually hope the cable companies win, and only take the NFL Network on a PPV basis.

(I'm one of those people who favors PPV cable, not the prepackaged shit we get now, which has us paying for like 100 channels we never watch.)

Cable a la carte would be nirvana. But it would mean new agreements for all the content deals the cable co's have and none of the majors would agree. Without a federal mandate it's just not going to happen.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3169075

The NFL caved and will be simulcasting the game on both CBS and NBC. I have no idea why two broadcast networks want to cover the same game (with the same announcers), but at least we'll all be able to watch the game.

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

lol... Go from one extreme to the other... Is there no balance in the world anymore? :)

^No kidding. It's also going to be on the ABC affiliate in Boston.... Anywhere you look it's going to be football.

lol.

It gets better, the Boston affiliate I mentioned before is pissed (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_PATRIOTS_GIANTS_TV?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT):

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas that were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it. That means viewers in those markets will have four channels to choose from if they get NFL Network.

That did not make officials at WWOR in New York happy.

"The NFL is in clear violation of their agreement with WWOR/My9," the station said in a statement. "We fully expect the league to honor their commitment to My9 as the exclusive free over-the-air broadcaster for Saturday's telecast of the New England Patriots at New York Giants game."

In a statement, NFL Network spokesperson Seth Palansky said: "We are in the process of reviewing the situation as it relates to Channel 9."

And we found out why the NFL saw the light...

But lawmakers have pressured the NFL to ensure more viewers could see the game. Last week, two prominent members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Goodell threatening to reconsider the league's antitrust exemption.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who co-wrote the letter with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he was "delighted" by the NFL's concession.

^^
lovely... :lol:

hahaha... Who says the Dem Congress is useless with Bush over their heads?

hahaha... Who says the Dem Congress is useless with Bush over their heads?

Ha, sadly this is probably the most useful thing they have done so far.

Yep.

Pelosi and Co. suck....big time otherwise.

Congrats to the Pats for the win tonight. I think they really tired out NY too, which is good news for the Bucs.

Yeah, that was the best part from the perspective of a Bucs fan... The Giants starters played a full game, that's for sure.