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NFL Network's Time Is Up
December 30, 2007
The Hartford Courant (CT)
The league's decision to allow two broadcast networks to simulcast Saturday night's game between the Patriots and Giants, originally scheduled for the NFL Network only, is being lauded by many.
But Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says it shouldn't be.
The move was explained by commissioner Roger Goodell as being "in the best interest of our fans." Maybe it is for Saturday night. But the real reason it was done was for the best interest of the NFL — as always, Bedard wrote.
As it became clear the cable companies would not back down from their insistence that the NFL Network not be put on the basic tier, politicians got interested in the situation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee threatened hearings on the antitrust exemption that the NFL enjoys for broadcast purposes. Then on Monday, Sen. John Kerry wrote a letter to Goodell suggesting the NFL put the game on a broadcast station. Otherwise, Senate hearings could be convened on "how the emergence of premium sports channels are impacting the consumer."
Two days later, Goodell put the game on two broadcast networks, NBC and CBS (Fox is surely unhappy about this).
This sets a bad precedent. What does it say to fans of other teams when an essentially meaningless regular season game (if the Patriots lose in the playoffs, a 16-0 season means nothing) is put on television for everyone to see, but other games of more interest (Packers-Cowboys) is not? What about the people who shelled out money for satellite dishes because they were told that was the only way they could see all the games?
The NFL fought the good fight — and it's actually a good product — but let's hope this signals the end of the network.
That would truly be in the best interest of all NFL fans.
Compiled from Courant wire services.
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