ARTICLE: The NFL Loses a Cable (Comcast) Ruling

[WoodysGirl]

By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: May 11, 2007

A Manhattan Supreme Court justice ruled yesterday that Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, can carry the NFL Network on a digital sports tier. The decision could roil the channel’s goal to be carried on the levels of digital distribution that would give it the greatest number of subscribers.

The National Football League sued Comcast last year over its plan to put the network on a sports tier on systems recently acquired from Time Warner. Comcast carries the channel on the rest of its systems to about 8 million subscribers on its second-biggest digital tier. Its sports tier is available to about a million homes.

Making the NFL Network available only to those paying about $5 extra monthly for the sports tier would greatly impede its availability.

“The final word on this issue is most likely to come from the appellate courts,” said Seth Palansky, a network spokesman.

Justice Bernard J. Fried found that agreements Comcast had made with the league in 2004 let it shift the NFL Network to a digital sports tier. That permission, Comcast argued, was to go into effect if it did not reach deals to carry eight late-season N.F.L. games on its Versus network for about $400 million a year or for the Sunday Ticket out-of-market package. The games ended up on the NFL Network and Sunday Ticket stayed on DirecTV.

David Cohen, an executive vice president of Comcast, said, “The agreements were clear as to Comcast’s right to migrate the NFL Network to the sports tier.”

He added, “This decision confirms that expensive niche programming like the NFL Network belongs on a sports tier.”

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[Yeagermeister]

Stupid Comcast

I have to all that money a month for shopping networks that I don't want but I will be forced to pay extra for the NFLN?

Sometimes I really wish I had kept my dish.

 

[5Stars]

Stupid Comcast

I have to all that money a month for shopping networks that I don't want but I will be forced to pay extra for the NFLN?

Sometimes I really wish I had kept my dish.

What's the problem, friend?

Just go back to the dish and cancel Comcast. You were born with "free will"...use it!

 

[Yeagermeister]

What's the problem, friend?

Just go back to the dish and cancel Comcast. You were born with "free will"...use it!

I don't have a land line and I see no sense in paying $20 or $30 extra a month just to have a dish that loses reception whenever a bird flies near it.

 

[Clove]

I'm hoping Charter gets with the program. Personally, I like having cable, I just want NFLN.

 

[dfense]

I don't have a land line and I see no sense in paying $20 or $30 extra a month just to have a dish that loses reception whenever a bird flies near it.

Obviously, you've never had a dish.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I don't have a land line and I see no sense in paying $20 or $30 extra a month just to have a dish that loses reception whenever a bird flies near it.

I keep trying to tell you, you don't need a land line. The land line is simply for order pay-per-view stuff through the receiver. Other than that, you don't need it.

As for reception, it's all about where the dish is pointed and how well it's mounted. I had my neighbor adjust mine and I got great reception. When I upgraded to HD and DTV changed out the dishes, I only lose reception when there's a major storm going thru. And it has to be major-major, like hail or something.

 

[5Stars]

I keep trying to tell you, you don't need a land line. The land line is simply for order pay-per-view stuff through the receiver. Other than that, you don't need it.

As for reception, it's all about where the dish is pointed and how well it's mounted. I had my neighbor adjust mine and I got great reception. When I upgraded to HD and DTV changed out the dishes, I only lose reception when there's a major storm going thru. And it has to be major-major, like hail or something.

I want to upgrade to HD TV so bad, but, the little lady says, "Why? What's wrong with the big screen TV we have now"?



:bang2: It's not like we cannot afford it!

 

[Cochese]

Obviously, you've never had a dish.

Indeed. The weather has to be HORRIBLE in order to lose my directv feed, and then its only for 20 minutes or so. I highly recommend it.

 

[Xy_Oldone]

I have a dish. I live in fl. Unless the Hurricane is comming I have no problem.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I keep trying to tell you, you don't need a land line. The land line is simply for order pay-per-view stuff through the receiver. Other than that, you don't need it.

As for reception, it's all about where the dish is pointed and how well it's mounted. I had my neighbor adjust mine and I got great reception. When I upgraded to HD and DTV changed out the dishes, I only lose reception when there's a major storm going thru. And it has to be major-major, like hail or something.

You do if you want a dvr.

 

[WoodysGirl]

You do if you want a dvr.

Who needs a DVR. I'm old school. VCR all the way...

 

[AtlCB]

You do if you want a dvr.

I had ultimate TV with DirecTV for months without a land line.

 

[theogt]

Stupid Comcast

I have to all that money a month for shopping networks that I don't want but I will be forced to pay extra for the NFLN?

Sometimes I really wish I had kept my dish.

Customers as a whole are going to end up paying the same amount regardless of where the channel is located. Having it on a basic package just allows us fans that watch it continuously to shift costs to the millions of people that couldn't care less about football and would never know its there.

I commend the league for being proud of their product, but it's hard to justify having the NFLN on a basic package, IMO.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Who needs a DVR. I'm old school. VCR all the way...

:laugh2:

I'm hooked on my DVR like crack. I record everything to watch later so I can skip commercials.

 

[CosmicCowboy]

I want to upgrade to HD TV so bad, but, the little lady says, "Why? What's wrong with the big screen TV we have now"?



:bang2: It's not like we cannot afford it!

Man, does that sound familiar...:bang2:

 

[burmafrd]

I have Directv with Tivo, and I do not ever use pay per view. So there is no reason for a land line. I live in NNY, and with all the snow we had this year I never lost the feed. I have maybe lost if for a total of 30 minutes or so in the five years I have lived here. Just about everyone I know loses their cable service for at least that much a MONTH.

 

[Verdict]

I want to upgrade to HD TV so bad, but, the little lady says, "Why? What's wrong with the big screen TV we have now"?



:bang2: It's not like we cannot afford it!

No offense, but do you have to have her "permission" to do it? I realize marriage is a team effort, but maybe you should negotiate it in there the next time she wants something. Then again, if it doesn't work out, and you need a good divorce lawyer ..... :laugh2:

 

[Verdict]

:laugh2:

I'm hooked on my DVR like crack. I record everything to watch later so I can skip commercials.

That works great, but if a game runs a little long, and you are not there to continue recording the game, you will miss the end of a few games!

 

[DallasEast]

No offense, but do you have to have her "permission" to do it? I realize marriage is a team effort, but maybe you should negotiate it in there the next time she wants something. Then again, if it doesn't work out, and you need a good divorce lawyer ..... :laugh2:

Exactly, HOW MANY divorces have you overseen?