The NFL Network is freely available on the Direct and Dish Networks. However, on Comcast Cable last season it was a FREE channel. This season you have to pay a subscribtion fee to watch. This FEE was imposed by Comcast, NOT the NFL.
I'll consider paying a fee if it has NO commercial interruptions. But, paying a fee and then still having to watch 30 minutes of conmmercials in a game.. NO thanks.
One Cowboys game was moved to Sunday night, while the NFL Network took the Pokes for another game or two.
The end result is that the NFL (the pot) is calling cable companies (the kettle) black. They're doing exactly the same thing with the networks that cable companies do with their current system of bundling channels: the networks have to take the NFL "bundle", and pay through the nose to get it.
I think the next TV contract will be quite different from the current one. If I'm Fox, my contract will include a guaranteed number of Cowboys/Packers/Giants/Redskins/Eagles games to cover the premium of the NFC markets.
Not that the NFL wants my advice, but they really need to improve the product they put out on the NFL Network.