NFL Network ditching Comcast?

[Batman]

I'm watching an episode of America's Game on NFL Network right now, and there's a crawl on top of the screen about the channel no longer being available on Comcast after May 1.
WTF?
The crawl lists a website, http://iwantnflnetwork.com/, which makes it sound like the league is taking its ball and going home. Since Comcast won't put it on the basic tier, they're pulling it entirely. I pay the extra $5 a month for the sports tier, largely because of NFL Network. So they're basically telling me to go screw, even though I'm a paying customer.
Anybody heard anything more on this?

 

[KevinmH9]

Well, that sucks. I don't have the NFL Network, but Comcast should PROBABLY put it on their basic tier of of programming because I guarantee you there will be a lot of pissed off customers about this. Comcast has the MLB Network on their basic tier, why the hell not the NFL Network?

 

[slappy4428]

I have the sports tier on Charter, it doesn't include NFLN.
I live a happier life without watching Adam Schefter.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Yeah, NFL Network ditching Comcast.

Gary Sheffield ditching Tigers.

Republican Party ditching American voters.

(You just might have it in reverse order there.)

 

[MileHigh]

One word: DirecTV

 

[GB-Hack]

Well, that sucks. I don't have the NFL Network, but Comcast should PROBABLY put it on their basic tier of of programming because I guarantee you there will be a lot of pissed off customers about this. Comcast has the MLB Network on their basic tier, why the hell not the NFL Network?

Here's my guess. 1. MLB charges less than NFLN in subscription charges, and 2. The way I understand it, any carrier that wants the MLB Extra Innings package will put the MLB Network on basic, or the digital tier.

The NFL negotiated its way out of using that as leverage when it reupped with DirecTV for Sunday Ticket. Why would Comcast, Time Warner or anyone else do what the NFL wants when it can't get what it really wants from the NFL?

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Plus MLB gave Comcast and DirecTV a stake in its network as well.

Really this is a game you wish both sides could lose.

 

[Oz]

Anybody heard anything more on this?

I got an e-mail from the NFL about this this a day ago titled, "NFL FANS -- DON'T GET SACKED!" It didn't detail the how or why, but simply provided a link to let you know how you could get NFL Network elsewhere.

http://www.iwantnflnetwork.com/

 

[slappy4428]

Anybody heard anything more on this?

I got an e-mail from the NFL about this this a day ago titled, "NFL FANS -- DON'T GET SACKED!" It didn't detail the how or why, but simply provided a link to let you know how you could get NFL Network elsewhere.

http://www.iwantnflnetwork.com/

Can you d_b a link on the same thread within 10 posts?

 

[Oz]

I think I proved that you can.

 

[Batman]

Anybody heard anything more on this?

I got an e-mail from the NFL about this this a day ago titled, "NFL FANS -- DON'T GET SACKED!" It didn't detail the how or why, but simply provided a link to let you know how you could get NFL Network elsewhere.

http://www.iwantnflnetwork.com/

d_b aside, the link doesn't really tell you anything. I actually like NFL Network. Screw the Thursday games, they've got some good stuff on there like the America's Game and the Top 10 shows. I don't mind paying the $5 for the sports tier to get it. I'm gonna be pissed if they yank it in some chicken**** power play.

 

[crimsonace]

Since Comcast won't put it on the basic tier, they're pulling it entirely.

Sounds like the fight Big Ten Network had with Communistcast.

The rub is that the networks get paid per-subscriber. So they demand basic tier placement because *everyone* who has that cable system then is charged a buck or so a month to carry that channel, whether they want it or not, which means cash for NFLN/BTN, et al.

Moving the channel to a sports tier means only the people who want to pay extra for sports will be forking over $$ to NFLN, and that's not acceptable, because it might mean a 50% drop in revenue.

They can hold out now, hope there's outrage, and work out some "compromise" by which Communistcast will put it on the basic tier for a couple of years and then bump it to a sports tier, at which time NFLN will go complaining that Comcast wants to deprive people of their channel again.

The moment ESPN realized it could charge a per-subscriber fee to cable companies and get away with it was the moment that sports on free TV (or even "free cable TV") ended. After that, it became a feeding frenzy to move all sports to cable, and because of that, the cost of cable skyrocketed, leading to the creation of sports tiers (if you want it, you can pay for it). That was unacceptable to the nets that had planned on per-subscriber revenue from everyone, and the Cold War between the cable companies and the nets began.

 

[mustangj17]

They charge you $5 for the sports package and then you only get the version that doesn't play Thursday night games. That will cost you $15 per month.

 

[mb]

Considering I can find any NFLN game I want on the net in about a hundred different places, it's certainly not going to break my heart.

/might feel differently if the Donkeys weren't gonig to suck major ass this year

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I think it's great when the cable providers **** over the NFL every so often so that league can find out it's not nearly as important as it thinks it is.

 

[Batman]

Sounds like the fight Big Ten Network had with Communistcast.

The rub is that the networks get paid per-subscriber. So they demand basic tier placement because *everyone* who has that cable system then is charged a buck or so a month to carry that channel, whether they want it or not, which means cash for NFLN/BTN, et al.

Moving the channel to a sports tier means only the people who want to pay extra for sports will be forking over $$ to NFLN, and that's not acceptable, because it might mean a 50% drop in revenue.

They can hold out now, hope there's outrage, and work out some "compromise" by which Communistcast will put it on the basic tier for a couple of years and then bump it to a sports tier, at which time NFLN will go complaining that Comcast wants to deprive people of their channel again.

Weird thing is, when NFLN debuted it was on the basic tier. For almost a year. Then last year, out of the blue, it went to the sports tier. It was bundled in there with the Big Ten Network, ESPN Classic and some of the Fox Sports regional channels, so I figured it was worth the extra cash.

 

[crimsonace]

That's a typical introductory deal ... "put us on the basic tier."

Comcast: "we'll do it for a year or two (or five), then reevaluate."
Company: "OK"

Then that comes up, they realize they're going to lose revenue, and then they demand basic tier again.

It's a heist.

That was the fallout between Big Ten Network & Comcast (and a few others). BTN wanted basic tier. Comcast wanted to put them on sports tier. BTN said "we won't go to sports tier. It's basic tier or nothing." Because BTN essentially controlled all of the Big Ten schools' football and basketball broadcasts, they figured they could wait out the public pressure on the cable companies.

Eventually, the compromise was basic tier for a couple of years, and then bump it to sports tier. BTN turned a profit this year on per-subscriber fees from being on Comcast's basic tier.

 

[playthrough]

One word: DirecTV

Amen.

 

[Oz]

Another black eye for Comcast in my eyes? I just called to order the NHL Center Ice package for the playoffs and was told they didn't offer that in our region. So once they pull NFL Network from us next month, we won't receive any of the six channels they highlight on their sports entertainment package section on their Web site.

 

[Mark2010]

Where is center ice not offered?