Little progress in getting NFL Network on Time Warner Cable, Cablevision - Ingles
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's latest effort to get his struggling NFL Network carriage deals on New York's two large cable systems has gained little yardage.
In fact, Goodell may even have been thrown for a loss.
The league is angering some cable executives because one of its media partners, DirecTV, has launched a marketing campaign that offers its NFL Sunday Ticket package at no charge -- which the executives believe can lead to a loss in subscribers.
At the same time, Goodell is sitting at the bargaining table hoping to strike a deal.
"You'll be happy to know we're in negotiations today with Time Warner," Goodell told fans last week. "We're trying to get that done. We believe it's good for fans; we think it's good for Time Warner."
But one NFL insider admitted, "We're not even close." A separate source added: "Goodell says the same thing every year. It's laughable at this point."
At Cablevision, folks weren't laughing.
A spokesman for the Long Island-based company told The Post: "Cablevision carries all Jets and Giants games, all of the playoffs and the Super Bowl. NFL Network carries only a handful of out-of-town games at a high price with no local teams. If the NFL really cared about cable customers being able to see their games, they would make Sunday Ticket available to cable customers, which they have refused to do."
A spokeswoman for Time Warner Cable said: "We've had some discussions with NFL Network but we still don't have an agreement."
The NFL Network is currently seen in 60 million homes across the country -- but has not been picked up by either Time Warner Cable or Cablevision. The network currently charges its distribution partners an average of 81 cents a subscriber per month.
Negotiations to get NFL Network on New York cable systems have been going on for years, but Goodell has been unsuccessful in convincing local executives of the network's value. It's been one of Goodell's biggest frustrations.
Despite being shut out of most of New York, the NFL Network, run by Steve Borstein, is making some headway. It signed a deal Aug. 1 with cable operator Charter Communications for carriage. That raised the profile of the NFL Network to 60 million homes.
The NFL reportedly registered revenues last season of about $9 billion and is looking to the NFL Network as being a key driver in raising the top line. More than 50 percent of that revenue is derived from TV license fees.
Recently, a new eight-game Thursday-night NFL Network package has been shopped to TV networks, according to a Sports Business Journal report.
The League may also be willing to sell a piece of the NFL Network as part of any agreement. The package is expected to go for $700 million and would air early season before the NFL Network's eight game package in the second half of the season, the report said (source New York Post)
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