NFL Network Cooks Golden Goose - Viewers Used As Stuffing
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The NFL has done a lot of intelligent things in the last couple of decades, and the soaring popularity of the game is a direct result of those decisions. It has, however, broken the string of good fortune, and if I have anything to say about it, this one will come back and bite it in its prodigious hindquarters.
For football fans, it began on Thanksgiving Day, 2006. The NFL Network would debut its “New Tradition” with a third game specifically targeted at the tryptophan-laden populace. The best game of the day: Denver at Kansas City.
The problem was and is that it was not widely viewed. Just like last night’s game pitting the Baltimore Ravens at the Cincinnati Bengals, most of their target audience couldn’t watch the game. Instead, I, like millions of others, was forced to watch the Mid American Conference Championship between Central Michigan and Ohio University. I’ve known about CMU for years, but last night I learned their nickname - The Chippewas - and while I mean no insult to CWU fans, that was a flotsam of trivia that I really didn’t want or need to know.
Today, while researching the stalemate between cable operators and the NFL, I found out why we are being punished. The NFL wants cable operators to make the NFL Network a basic cable offering. That makes sense, since that would gain it maximum exposure. The catch is the NFL wants to be paid 70 cents per subscriber per month, which is premium channel pricing.
The faux pas is, the NFL has taken its case to the masses - us viewers who are being taunted with premium matchups that we can’t watch. I for one have a message to the NFL. Take your network and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
I’ve been a fan since Super Bowl IV, when a Len Dawson-led Kansas City Chiefs team took the Minnesota Vikings apart. My first NFL hero was christened that day. His name was Buck Buchanan, defensive end and holy terror for the Chiefs. I became an instant Hank Stram aficionado, and studied his history and career to gain insight into his obvious brilliance.
Today I feel like the NFL Network, oblivious of its mistake, has cooked the goose that has laid decades of golden eggs. And for nothing more than what amounts to an appetizer in the grand scheme of revenue generation.
Sad. Very sad.
[tags]NFL,football,broadcast,cable tv,sports,jerks[/tags]
9 Comments
Joe Jones
December 1st, 2006
at 4:19pm
So are you saying, that you would be happy to pay for a sports package to watch the games? Good luck w/that, I got to see it at no extra cost via Direct TV. I get more w/Direct TV then my cable at the same price - around $35 (for the main set). I’ve been a fan since the mid 70’s, not as long as you but determined not to miss any football. Oh, the NFL network is great to watch. Real fans watch it every day.
abenjamin
December 4th, 2006
at 10:29am
Joe;
Well, gee, that doesn’t seem to be what I said at all. Not sure why you would make that inference. First off, I don’t know how your bill is so cheap. Mine was around $60 a month with all the HD stuff, so you are definitely at the low end. In addition, the NFL Network isn’t free, nor are the extra’s.
As a real fan I don’t appreciate the NFL strong-arm tactics, because many other “real fans” as you put it, are left out in the cold. And while I am happy for you that you are happy, the bottom line is the DirecTV solution doesn’t work for me. I don’t see the value in not having my system available for huge chunks of the year because it is raining outside. The Off-air antennae only brings in local channels when the satellite signal is down or weak, so why would I pay for lousy service.
JP
December 12th, 2006
at 8:24am
Abenjamin,
I couldn’t agree with you more!! I am one of millions of football fans that truly feels disenfranchised by the NFL. Come December 30, millions more NY Giants fans are going to feel it when they are unable to watch their favorite team.
I guess I’m just surprised that there isn’t more of an uproar about this from the fan base.
abenjamin
December 12th, 2006
at 10:44am
It’s all about greed and it really is a shame. Football is at it’s Peter Principle and after enjoying decades of growth and good will is teetering on the brink of losing its mass appeal.
What the stuffed shirts are missing while they spin dollar signs in their pupils is that there is only so much they can squeeze before they start making their offerings irrelevant. While I can’t imagine not watching football, I can easily imagine switching to college ball. The only way things will change is for fans to finally say No Mas!!!
I am very near that point and I think others are as well.
Mark
December 12th, 2006
at 5:58pm
I don’t understand why the cable companies say you have to get a sports package why dish network gives you nfl network included in the $29.99 package. For less than the “extra” cable package. Check it out at http://thriftytimes.com/nfl.
You have another year of this so rebel and change over to Dish!
abenjamin
December 13th, 2006
at 10:18am
Nice, and thanks for the heads up Mark. It won’t work for me, which sucks, because $29.95 for cable and the NFL Network is an awesome deal.
It still doesn’t solve my problem. Nor does it solve the problem for people who either don’t have the proper sky exposure or, like my best friend Scott, who live in apartment complexes that don’t allow satellite dishes.
I never understood that, but then again I don’t own an apartment complex either.
Mark
January 26th, 2007
at 8:39pm
Bummer! Sorry it won’t work for you.
Henry
November 4th, 2007
at 7:42pm
Enough whining already NFL Network. The post below puts things into a much different perspective. I think it speaks for itself.
http://ispgeeks.com/wild/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=3339#3339
abenjamin
November 8th, 2007
at 5:55pm
Henry,
Great link. I’ve posted the commentary below
The NFL Network would love for everyone to think they are just the best thing since sliced bread and that every cable provider should be required to offer the service regardless of what it costs each cable consumer. In reality they have been engaged in a four year cable bashing spree the likes of which I have not seen in the industry since DirecTV started their nonsense years ago…even the Verizon FIOS vss cable battle pales in comparison.
Here’s the real scoop on the NFL Network. First of all their service only covers 8-12 (including the pre-season) games and in a normal season that’s just a drop in the bucket. The remainder of their broadcast time is spent spewing reruns of games long gone that can easily be seen on any of the ESPN channels or Fox Sports channels meanwhile the consumer keeps paying and paying…and paying. Why should you pay for something that you can get legally for free?
Next but most important, the NFL Network has not engaged in good faith negotiations with cable opting instead to constantly bash cable companies on the NFL Network website (lets not forget the recent media blitz) and at times have even gone so far as to post blatantly false statements about cable’s current negotiations position in hopes of getting consumers to fight their battle for them under the auspice of “it’s big bad cable’s fault that you are not seeing the NFL Network”.
The primary sticking points are (1) Cost - NFL Network wants way more than the service is actually worth and (2) They insist on the cable providers making it available to all viewers on their network, who cares that the majority of people just don’t care about the NFL Network and are certainly not willing to allow their monthly bills to increase just so the 5% (or less based on consumer request polls) minority can get the channel.
Our suggestion to the NFL Network is to stop attempting to muscle their way into the negotiations room and instead come back with a reasonable offer that all providers can live with. This would also include the immediate removal of all the cable bashing trash on their website (seen below). There is just no excuse for the lies and trash posted on that website in an effort to literally extort their way into cable households. Business negotiations are tough regardless of the industry and neither party can afford to poison the punch with such nonsense. The cable companies have clearly stated their terms and despite the constant barrage of poison spewing from the NFL Network have continued to try and work with them in good faith (althought quite frankly if I were them I would have told the NFL Network to take a hike long ago).
One can’t help but notice that your only major partners (as shown on the website below) are the very same companies in direct competition with cable (DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon FIOS, AT&T U-Verse). So what’s really going on NFL Network? Looks to me like you’re nothing more than their proxy…