Post by TheShadow on Nov 25, 2007 9:56:09 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com/
By John Ryan
Mercury News
The topic is the NFL Network vs. cable companies. The spin is the most intense we've ever seen. The stakes run into the billions of dollars.
And every answer leads to more questions. So let's just go to the questions.
Q: Where can I see those eight games on the NFL Network beginning Thursday night?
A: Satellite systems and sports bars, or on Comcast's sports tier for $2.99 a month.
Q: Why the sports tier, when last year it was on digital basic?
A: Comcast won a summary judgment in May that allowed it to move the channel to a subscription package with lesser-known channels. Although the NFL has disputes with Time Warner and other companies, this is the biggie.
On a conference call Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We don't believe the cable operators are committed to a viable sports-tier product."
Q: Who's going to win?
A: Comcast, it appears.
"Probably what will happen is at some point in the future, it's hard to say when, I would think the NFL Network will lower their rates for Comcast," said Derek Baine, a senior analyst based in Monterey for SNL Kagan, a financial-research firm. "I can't imagine they're just going to go on for years not being on Comcast, and I think Comcast knows that."
Q: Who's morally right?
A: Morally? Between the NFL and Big Cable? Good one.
Q: Relatively speaking.
A: The NFL, save for one huge flaw. The league says it wants to bring its product to the most fans at the lowest cost. But before 2006, fans in "secondary markets" - Fresno for the Bay Area, San Antonio for Dallas, etc. - never had to worry about seeing their teams. Now they do, and it's because the league changed the system.
Goodell tried to argue that there's no difference from the long-standing policy of regionalization. That's factually incorrect, it's arrogant, and it wins no p.r. points.
Where the NFL is right is in arguing that Comcast favors Comcast-owned channels such as Versus. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who leads the NFL Network committee, told SI.com's Peter King the league might be willing to go as low as 60 to 65 cents per subscriber. That's a competitive price that should get the NFL Network on digital basic.
Which has captured more of the nation's fancy - professional football, or hockey and bullriding?
Q: So what is Comcast's problem?
A: Oh, where to begin. In this case, Comcast claims it's saving customers from a price increase - yet it increases prices every year.
For myriad reasons, Comcast has been losing cable customers - 65,000 last quarter - and its stock price has plummeted, which the NFL's p.r. machine gleefully points out.
Q: What will turn this in the league's favor?
A: The Patriots going undefeated, because their final game is Dec. 29 on the NFL Network. The league is going with the model of ESPN2, which used a 1998 North Carolina-Duke No. 1-vs.-No. 2 hoops game to show the world it wasn't going to deviate from its plan.
Q: So if we want the NFL Network, we need to root for Belichick?
A: Apparently so. That man really is an evil genius.
By John Ryan
Mercury News
The topic is the NFL Network vs. cable companies. The spin is the most intense we've ever seen. The stakes run into the billions of dollars.
And every answer leads to more questions. So let's just go to the questions.
Q: Where can I see those eight games on the NFL Network beginning Thursday night?
A: Satellite systems and sports bars, or on Comcast's sports tier for $2.99 a month.
Q: Why the sports tier, when last year it was on digital basic?
A: Comcast won a summary judgment in May that allowed it to move the channel to a subscription package with lesser-known channels. Although the NFL has disputes with Time Warner and other companies, this is the biggie.
On a conference call Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We don't believe the cable operators are committed to a viable sports-tier product."
Q: Who's going to win?
A: Comcast, it appears.
"Probably what will happen is at some point in the future, it's hard to say when, I would think the NFL Network will lower their rates for Comcast," said Derek Baine, a senior analyst based in Monterey for SNL Kagan, a financial-research firm. "I can't imagine they're just going to go on for years not being on Comcast, and I think Comcast knows that."
Q: Who's morally right?
A: Morally? Between the NFL and Big Cable? Good one.
Q: Relatively speaking.
A: The NFL, save for one huge flaw. The league says it wants to bring its product to the most fans at the lowest cost. But before 2006, fans in "secondary markets" - Fresno for the Bay Area, San Antonio for Dallas, etc. - never had to worry about seeing their teams. Now they do, and it's because the league changed the system.
Goodell tried to argue that there's no difference from the long-standing policy of regionalization. That's factually incorrect, it's arrogant, and it wins no p.r. points.
Where the NFL is right is in arguing that Comcast favors Comcast-owned channels such as Versus. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who leads the NFL Network committee, told SI.com's Peter King the league might be willing to go as low as 60 to 65 cents per subscriber. That's a competitive price that should get the NFL Network on digital basic.
Which has captured more of the nation's fancy - professional football, or hockey and bullriding?
Q: So what is Comcast's problem?
A: Oh, where to begin. In this case, Comcast claims it's saving customers from a price increase - yet it increases prices every year.
For myriad reasons, Comcast has been losing cable customers - 65,000 last quarter - and its stock price has plummeted, which the NFL's p.r. machine gleefully points out.
Q: What will turn this in the league's favor?
A: The Patriots going undefeated, because their final game is Dec. 29 on the NFL Network. The league is going with the model of ESPN2, which used a 1998 North Carolina-Duke No. 1-vs.-No. 2 hoops game to show the world it wasn't going to deviate from its plan.
Q: So if we want the NFL Network, we need to root for Belichick?
A: Apparently so. That man really is an evil genius.