The game that nobody would see is now available for everybody to see. The NFL, bowing to congressional and fan pressure, agreed to let NBC and CBS tap into the NFL Network feed this Saturday night. Now fans who were once searching for the game, will not be able to escape the game. Overall viewership for the Patriots-Giants game will no doubt be huge for the NFL.
Commisssioner Roger Goodell really had no other choice. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he had to make some sort of deal to give fans access, and get the Senators in Washington off his back. He did make a wise choice, choosing to simulcast the game to the major networks. The last thing he wanted to do was give a free weekend of NFL Network access to Time Warner Cable, which has opposed carrying the NFL brainchild at every turn.
The real losers this go round are Dish Network and DirecTV, with Verizon also losing out. These alternate providers have been on board for years with the NFL Network, and have certainly picked up additional subscribers who value the NFL’s product. If not for meddling elected officials, the rush to hook up with satellite tv companies would have surely caused cable tv executives to re-examine their positions slightly.
