PFT: "Inside the NFL" is returning to TV... this time on Showtime

WoodysGirl

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IT’S SHOWTIME FOR “INSIDE THE NFL”

Posted by Mike Florio on June 3, 2008, 8:31 p.m.

Inside the NFL, the long-running pro football highlights show that was dumped by HBO after three decades earlier this year, has landed with one of HBO’s oldest pay-channel competitors, Showtime.

The show will be produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films, and it will air on Wednesday nights during football season.

“This is the granddaddy of all highlight shows,” said Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films. “The combination of our film and game sound with the analysis in the studio gives Inside the NFL a perfect balance of action and insight. That’s why it’s been so popular for so long.”

It’s unknown whether any, some, or all of the on-air talent that was associated with the show at HBO will make the jump to Showtime. Bob Costas, one of the hosts of the program, still has a contract with HBO, which might prevent him from moonlighting with such a direct competitor.

We’d been told in the wake of the show’s demise that HBO had been paying NFL Films $8 million per year for access to the company’s game highlights.

UPDATE: A media source suggests that the new version of the show will be staffed primarily with current CBS talent, with Jim Nantz playing the role of Bob Costas, Dan Marino playing the role of, um, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason or Phil Simms filling the role of Cris Collinsworth, and Charley Casserly serving in the Peter King role.
 

Disturbed

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Too bad the NFL channel could not pick up this show. It would be a natural fit and help sell the channel.

The hosts seem blah...nothing special. They need smart witty characters to be the hosts to breath some life into it -- Jaime Dukes would be a good fit.
 

Aven8

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This show went down the tubes anyway. I missed Nick and Lenny!
It also went down the tubes because they use to show every game highlight and picked every game. With the new crew they would just pick the big games!
 

31smackdown

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I think the problem with the NFL Network is that it competes against itself..

NFL Films wouldn't want the show on the NFL network unless the NFL Network was willing to pay the additional money for the rights to use the footage from NFL films.. which they may already pay for.. I don't know how the NFL and NFL films have their agreement worked out.

Either way, it probably means less money for both the NFL and NFL Films.. which we all know is the real drivng factor here.. or in any business
 

Established1971

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CountryBoy1;2105079 said:
Too bad the NFL channel could not pick up this show. It would be a natural fit and help sell the channel.

The hosts seem blah...nothing special. They need smart witty characters to be the hosts to breath some life into it -- Jaime Dukes would be a good fit.

Jamie Dukes is corny not witty. I dont find him especially smart either
 

Disturbed

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Dukes is funny and he makes some interesting points...saying smart was probably pushing it. But he is interesting to watch, unlike many of the current Inside the NFL hosts.

My hosts lineup would be Howey Long, Chris Collinsworth, Tony Siragusa, Jaime Dukes, and they need to find some pretty & funny female to join cast. This cast would be insightful as well as fun.

They needed to get more characters on the show to make it worth watching because 90% of the time it was just highlights or boring dumb stories.
 
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