Since its inception in 2003, the NFL Network has provided football fans with a place to watch their favorite teams play their favorite sport. It airs several regular season prime time games as a "Run to the Playoffs" feature each season. In addition, the NFL Network provides more than 50 preseason games, as well as replays of classic games and previous Super Bowls. The broadcasting also provides not only coverage of the NFL Draft, but even coverage of the scouting process. This is an excellent resource for the die-hard NFL fan who seeks immersive coverage of the sport of Football, from the preseason through the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
One of the areas that the Network has struggled with, however, has been its relationship with several of the major cable companies. While satellite providers like DirecTV have been quick to reach agreements with the NFL network (DirecTV now includes the NFL Network as one of its new HD channels, for example), cable companies have been more resistant. The dispute comes, largely, from the fact that the NFL network would like to be included in a basic- or extended-tier cable package, while cable providers have generally wanted to relegate the NFL Network to a sports-only package.
Certain cable providers such as Time Warner Cable have refused the NFL Network's request to offer their network to their core subscribers through their basic entertainment packages. Relegating the NFL Network to a specific sports-only package would wind up severely limiting viewership. This would impact the league and the network as well as many of its fans who subscribe to these cable services. The NFL Network has, in response, recommended to fans that they switch to one of the satellite companies, like DirecTV. The NFL Network maintains an advertising campaign to this end, and even encourages their fans to contact their cable companies, asking the cable companies to add the network to their basic packages. In addition, in order to try to reach as many fans as possible, the NFL Network went so far in December of 2007 as to attempt to enter into arbitration with Time Warner Cable, an offer which Time Warner Cable rejected.
Fortunately for fans that are caught in the middle of the satellite-cable battle over the NFL Network, the playoffs are still being broadcast over the air, via the regular-season affiliates. This means that the AFC playoffs will be aired on FOX, while the NFC playoffs will be aired on CBS. Super Bowl XLII is set to be aired over the air on the Fox network.
Whitney Alen is a Direct TV expert and has over 10 years experience in the satellite tv industry.
