Under pressure, NFL opens up Pats-Giants tilt
Don Day December 26th, 2007
This Saturday’s Patriots-Giants game was going to have the least national distribution possible: airing only on the meek NFL Network. But under pressure for political types - the league has offered up the potentially historic game to both CBS and NBC. Now the Pats may finish the season undefeated with people watching on three TV networks. CBS and NBC will air the NFL Network feed. Sen. John Kerry and others pressured the NFL to figure something out - since the league-owned NFL Network is still carried in a tiny tiny number of homes both nationally and in the Patriots and Giants’ markets.
By the way, TV Week says this is the first national NFL simulcast since 1967’s first Super Bowl, when CBS and NBC both carried the game.
3 Comments Add your own
1. George Creedle | December 26th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I’m happy to be a resident of football-free Los Angeles and proud to be a TWC subscriber (how often do you hear that?) when I hear TWC stand up to the NFL trying to stick their hands into every cable sub’s pockets. Let 2007 be known as the year the NFL and pro sports in general (steroids, cry-baby Kobe, extra stupid salaries) jumped the shark. I’m looking forard to seeing smaller NFL salaries as they gradually work their way out of mass-market status.
2. Geoff Fox | December 31st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Sure, NFL Network was heavy handed in their promos, but there was one thing that bothered me more. Here’s what I wrote on my blog (geofffox dot com):
Before the game began, an on-field ‘reporter’ ‘interviewed’ NFL commissioner Roger Gooddell. Well, at least that’s how it appeared. Certainly, that’s how it was intended to appear.
Don’t be fooled. It was not a reporter. It was not an interview.
Roger Gooddell was quizzed on NFL Network by an NFL Network employee. As NFL commissioner he controls NFL Network. He is the interviewer’s boss.
Which tough, embarrassing questions are you prepared to ask your boss on national television?
Gooddell answered with no follow-up.
This wasn’t an interview. It was a stealth press release. That wasn’t a reporter. Tonight, he was a PR flack.
That NBC and CBS allowed this to happen on their air is nearly as distasteful as NFL Network doing it.
3. Gorman | January 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm
The whole thing bothered me. It was a four-hour campaign against the holdout cable companies attempting to create a public uproar. A move “for the fans” my ass.
I agree with GF, that interview was especially sickening. The plant asked Gooddell about the dispute between the NFL and holdout cable companies. He said “That’s a discussion for a later day” and then explained why the carrying the NFL network is the obvious choice.
Then a “retrospective” of the NFL Network’s storied past? Good grief.
We’re already in a presidential race, we don’t need any more of that passive-aggressive double-talk.
Pardon my french.
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