[brownsfan]

Why is any legislature involved in this?

I am a football fan, but if I want the product, I have to pay for it. If it’s extra for NFL network, that’s fine, the choice is mine. The Big Ten network carries games I want to see, but don’t want to pay extra for watching. So, I find something else to do. Same with NFL network. Eventually, they’ll find that their fan base erodes as people discover a walk in the woods is more fun than watching a football game. But I digress.

No one has a “right” to watch games. It’s free market, let it sort itself out.

[George from New England]

On the other hand, does a cable franchise that essentially has a TV monopoly in their purchased area, have the right to include it in basic service AND make everyone who wants any cable pay the extra 70 cents a month for it?

Isn’t that the issue? I do not believe that any franchise areas can overlap and this gives the company a cable monopoly. We all know that our beloved govt takes a payback fee for the franchise arrangement.

[Rightly Biased]

Comcast gets to put the NFL network on its Digital sports Tier

Time Warner wants the same deal and the NFL will not give them that deal, NFL want sTime Warner to put the channel on its Expanded Basic Tier.

Seems to me someone at TWC ticked off someone at the NFL so Time Warner doesn’t get the same deal that Comcast and SeeBridge are getting in Texas.

[Sybeck1]

The NFL channel has the Pats/Giants game the last week of the season. Just imagine the outcry if this is the game that would give the Pats their perfect season.

[A_Tradition_Continues]

As a monopoly the NFL should be required to air all games via standard airwaves.

[subterfuge]

All of the professional sports are leveraged to the hilt. Every team needs to be a "winner" so that they get maximum attendance and viewership, then they can pay their free-agents the maximum allowable under the leagues' "salary cap" (wink,wink). After a couple of "winning" years the team owner can demand a new arena be financed by the local taxpayers, or they threaten to move the team.

If a given team is not a winner, well that's the fault of the local area being a "small market" location. I'd guess that 50% of all pro sports articles are coverage of contracts, arena deals and crime blotter/drug abuse.

And "Free Agency"? What a joke. Teams aren't loyal to the player and players aren't loyal to teams. When the Orlando Magic and the NBA allowed Shaq to leave the team and they got nothing for it, not a draft pick, not cash, not another player, that was it for me and pro sports. If that is how they want to run their business, fine. But I don't have to watch it anymore and I don't. I was a season ticket holder for nine years, with 4 seats. At least in the NFL it's mandated that teams are compensated.

Don't get me started on that loser Grant Hill.

[1Old Pro]

I have DISH and get the NFL channel, but I don’t get the NY Yankee channel YES network, maybe I should sue.

SOLUTION: offer ALL channels ala cart

[Sybeck1]

The NFL network also has two college bowls on its schedule:

Texas Bowl
Dec. 28 / 8 p.m. NFL Network
Tie-Ins: Houston, Texas
Big 12 vs. C-USA
Projection: Houston vs. New Mexico (7-win Lobos will knock out a 6-win Big 12)

Insight Bowl
Dec. 31 / TBA Tempe, Ariz. NFL Network
Tie-Ins: Big Ten No. 6 vs. Big 12 No. 6
Projection: Indiana vs. Oklahoma State*