Byline: Judd Zulgad; Staff Writer
The NFL found itself facing a dilemma last winter that is the very reason why it is the envy of the professional sports world.
Having created a new eight-game television package, league executives and owners were considering a six-year, $2.4 billion offer from Comcast-owned OLN (now Versus). While that was enticing, it wasn't as intriguing as the alternative of keeping the late-season Thursday/Saturday package in-house.
And so tonight, the NFL Network will carry the first live regular-season game in its three-year existence when Kansas City plays host to Denver at 7 p.m. That will complete a new Thanksgiving Day tripleheader that will continue to feature games at Detroit and Dallas and then be followed by a prime-time contest from a different site each season. For the next six years, the NFL Network will have that game. 'I will tell you that we are putting the best product that we possibly can out there,' said Steve Bornstein, the president of the NFL Network and a former top executive at Disney-owned ABC and ESPN. 'It's going to be beautiful-looking cameras and High Definition, and we are sparing really no creativity and no expense in putting the best presentation we can on the air.'
Limited distribution
But unlike today's first two games on Fox and CBS, not everyone will be able to see the nightcap - at least this year. The NFL Network is currently available in about 40 million households in the United States - both DirecTV and Dish Network offer it - but isn't carried by several major cable systems, including Charter and Time Warner.
The NFL is banking (literally) on the fact that by airing eight contests it can win a game of chicken with cable operators who have balked at putting it on anything other than a digital sports tier; this is in part because they don't want to pay a per-subscriber fee that has jumped from about 25 cents to 87 cents due to the inclusion of these games.
The cable companies say if they pay that rate it likely will mean price hikes for everyone, including those who don't care about football. The NFL, meanwhile, wants broader distribution because that will mean more money in its pockets and thus more cash for each team.
A risky move? Not according to John Mansell of Monterey-Calif.-based Kagan Research. 'What the NFL is doing is building a tremendous asset that very quickly is worth over $1 billion dollars,' he said. 'They may have spurned the $400 million [a year] offer from Versus, but there is no question eventually they will be available throughout all cable systems and be able to generate really decent fees, tremendous advertising revenues and have one of the most valuable networks around.'
Locally, the NFL Network is available to approximately 350,000 Comcast customers in St. Paul and 80-plus other communities on a digital tier. But that's about it when it comes to cable. Mediacom joins Charter in not offering the 24-7 football channel that this season also began replaying condensed versions of the top games from the previous weekend.
As for the former Time Warner subscribers in Minneapolis and the western suburbs, they also are on the outside looking in despite the fact Comcast is now running those systems. The problem is that the cable giant wants to place the NFL Network on a sports tier in those areas and the league is balking. The two sides are headed to court and a resolution is likely months away.
The only bit of good news for many is that the Vikings-Packers matchup on Dec. 21 will be simulcast on KSTP (Ch. 5), just as any Vikings game on ESPN is made available on a local channel. But you're out of luck when it comes to the seven other telecasts.
The NFL Network also has obtained the exclusive rights to four college postseason games, including the Insight Bowl on Dec. 29. The Gophers will play in that contest, which doesn't have to be offered up to a local over-the-air channel.
A history lesson?
All of this bickering might sound familiar to local sports fans who remember the Twins failed Victory Sports One venture in 2004. The difference is the NFL Network appears here to stay and eventually the league is counting on viewers taking out their anger on cable providers.
'This network is not going away,' said Seth Palansky, who serves as communications director of the NFL Network. 'We have the rights to 48 live NFL games [over six years]. So this problem is coming every year and same thing with Bowl games.'
However, the NFL Network doesn't have this battle won yet. Congress has expressed an interest in what the league is doing. A recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee reportedly centered on how having live games could impact cable and satellite rates as well as whether this raises any antritrust issues in connection with the Sports Broadcasting act. 'The NFL is trying to force cable companies to charge many consumers for programming they don't want,' Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen said in a statement to the Star Tribune. 'Sports programming fees are out of control in general and the NFL programming is very expensive.'
Bornstein's hope is that viewers also will see that programming as essential. 'This isn't about eight games for us,' he said. 'This is about 365 days a year of what we think is the most popular cultural impactful programming that we can do. And we are spending a lot of time, effort and resources, putting on 365 days a year of good programming.'
NFL
THREE GAMES TODAY
WITH YOUR THE APPETIZERS MIAMI AT DETROIT, 11:30 A.M. - CH. 4
Nothing says Thanksgiving like Joey Harrington! The Lions let him go, but he'll haunt Turkey Day viewers for another season as the Dolphins QB.
ANOTHER SIDE DISH TAMPA BAY AT DALLAS, 3:15 9.M. - CH. 9
That was former Gophers running back Marion Barber III spoiling the Colts' perfect season last week. Will he add to his nine touchdowns?
AN EXTRA HELPING OF DESERT DENVER AT KANSAS CITY, 7 P.M. - NFL NETWORK
Fantasy players know all about KC's Larry Johnson, but do you? Get a good look at the future on the NFL Network's maiden voyage.
DO YOU GET NFL NETWORK?
Yes: If you have Comcast in live in St. Paul or any of the other communities on a digital tier.
No: For you former Time Warner customers in the western suburbs now on Comcast.
Yes: If you have the proper available DirecTV or DishNetwork packages.
KICKING OFF A NEW NETWORK
A look at the NFL Network's inaugrial television season:
Game times: All are 7 p.m.
Play-by-play: Bryant Gumbel
Color: Cris Collinsworth and Dick Vermeil
Week 12
Today
Denver at Kansas City
Week 13
Thursday, Nov. 30
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Week 14
Thursday, Dec. 7
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
Week 15
Thursday, Dec. 14
San Francisco at Seattle
Saturday, Dec. 16
Dallas at Atlanta
Week 16
Thursday, Dec. 21
Vikings at Green Bay
Saturday, Dec. 23
Kansas City at Oakland
Week 17
Saturday, Dec. 30
N.Y. Giants at Washington
AROUND THE LEAGUES
The NFL isn't the only professional sports league with its own network. A look at the others:
NBA TV
Launched: Nov. 2, 1999, as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a pro sports league.
Available: In 70 million U.S. homes and can be seen in 42 other countries, including France, Russia, Spain, Israel, the Philippines, Hong Kong and throughout the Middle East.
Game coverage: Showed its first regular-season NBA game in January 2003 when it telecast an Orlando-New Jersey matchup. This season it will show 96 regular-season and playoff games, including nearly 50 in high-definition.
NHL Network
Launched: Oct. 4, 2001.
Available: In about one-fifth of the 5 million digital households in Canada. Not yet offered in the United States, although that was supposed to be part of the deal when Comcast-owned Versus (then OLN) and the NHL agreed to a three-year contract before the 2005-06 season.
Game coverage: Will televise 34 games between U.S.-based teams this season. The network's signature show features live look-ins to every game on a nightly basis all across the league.
TODAY'S GAME CAPSULES
Dolphins (4-6) at Lions (2-8)
11:30 a.m., Ch. 4
Line: Dolphins by 3
Skinny: Detroit is 33-31-2 on Thanksgiving; Miami is 4-1. Dolphins QB Joey Harrington, traded during the offseason after four years with the Lions, has helped Miami win three consecutive games. He started 55 games for the Lions. Detroit QB Jon Kitna is fourth in the NFC with 2,624 yards passing.
Bucs (3-7) at Cowboys (6-4)
3:15 p.m., Ch. 9
Line: Cowboys by 12
Skinny: Tampa Bay is 0-4 on the road and has scored an NFC-low 132 points. The Bucs' Bruce Gradkowski can become the first rookie QB since 2004 (Drew Henson) to start and win on Thanksgiving. Dallas is 23-14-1 (.622) on Thanksgiving. Cowboys RB Marion Barber III leads the NFC with nine TDs.
Broncos (7-3) at Chiefs (6-4)
7 p.m., NFL Network
Line: Broncos by 1
Skinny: QB Jake Plummer, 16-6 (.727) as a Denver starter vs. the AFC West, is seeking his first victory at Kansas City. Denver has won four in a row on the road. Kansas City's Larry Johnson leads the NFL in rushing with 1,045 yards and has 14 TDs (12 rushing). Kansas City's defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its past 20 home games.
