NFL TV Deal in Works

Links (12)

ESPN TO PARTNER WITH NFLN?
Published 6/20/2008 by Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com
... with NFLN.“High-level” talks have occurred of late.  Beyond that, we’re not aware of any of the details. Not because they’re not in the WSJ story, but because we refuse to pay for an online subscription to the Wall Street Journal in order to find out. Stay tuned.  Eventually, there will be a report from a media outlet which realizes that the “free content plus ads” model is the only way to make money on a consistent basis via the Internet. UPDATE:  The whole story can be read right here . 

ESPN, NFL Network Could Join Forces
Published 6/20/2008 by Michael David Smith at FanHouse
... The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Worldwide Leader and the National Football League's house network are engaging in high-level talks about developing a partnership. The discussions go all the way up to Disney CEO Robert Iger and NFL Commissioner ...

ESPN, NFL Network May Join Forces
Published 6/21/2008 by Doug Farrar at N/A
ESPN, NFL Network May Join Forces The Wall Street Journal is reporting that NFL Network chief exec Steve Bornstein (who used to run the Worldwide Leader) has been involved in high-level discussions with ESPN regarding the possibility of a partnership between the two networks. Speculation has ESPN putting NFL Network programming on ESPN Classic, and obviously taking the slate of eight live games. It would seem to be a win-win on the surface — ESPN would have a virtual stranglehold on the country’s most popular sport, and the NFL Network would get its programming beamed into ...

ESPN, NFL Network Talking to Create Superpower Hype-Machine
Published 6/21/2008 by Patrick Imig at The Big Lead
... service DirecTV and smaller providers. It is available in approximately 40.3 million homes, roughly one-third of all households with TV. It averaged 196,000 viewers during prime-time in 2007. ESPN Classic is in 62.7 million homes, according to Nielsen. So all is good for the football fan right?  No; ESPN and NFL Network will find a way to make us sour.  They do a great job with that.  I forecast Jamie Dukes HOSTING a Who’s NOW tournament. [Wall Street Journal]

NFL Network: Broadcasting Games on a Cable Station Near You
Published 6/21/2008 by SOLIS at Battle Red Blog
... According to the Wall Street Journal, the NFL and ESPN are in ongoing negotiations to broadcast the package of games that were once exclusive to the ...

The Post Mortem
Published 6/23/2008 by NFL Adam (noreply@blogger.com) at The Hater Nation
... The NFL Network could become a part of ESPN, according to this report in the Wall Street Journal. The writing has been on the wall for a long time with the NFL Network. Why should the team's owners pay money to fund a network that isn't seen by anybody, when they could just turn around and sell it to a network like ESPN? The NBA went through something similar before it had to buckle. And the NFL let go what little leverage it had back in December when they buckled by allowing the Patriots vs. Giants game to be shown on free television. ...

NFL Network & ESPN Partnership?
Published 6/23/2008 by Robbie Gillies at RealClearSports - Blog
... The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the NFL Network and ESPN are in talks to form some type of partnership. The NFL Network has been in trench warfare with the cable companies to get the Network on basic cable, but cable companies like Comcast haven't budged. The NFL Network tried to put heat on the cable companies by having a package of eight NFL games during the past two seasons, but many fans channeled their anger towards the NFL Network and not their cable providers. The cable companies have been unwilling to pay the price per subscriber the NFL Network has wanted. A ...

Shanoff's Wake-Up Call: ESPNFL, NBA Draft
Published 6/23/2008 at The Sporting Blog
... Beasley vs. OJ Mayo, Carmelo vs. Nuggets, USA Hoops vs. Chris Paul, Mark Teixeira vs. Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Dempster vs. Justin Duchscherer, Brandon Jennings vs. the NCAA, Fresno State vs. Cinderella, Candace Parker vs. Gravity, NHL vs. KHL, George Carlin vs. Baseball and More. The Opening Pitch: Is the NFL taking over ESPN Classic? If you weren't looking at the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, you may have missed what would be the biggest sports media story of the decade: The NFL Network and ESPN are rumored to be joining forces to turn ESPN Classic into ... um ... "ESPN ...

NFL Network may be coming to a Cable TV near you
Published 6/23/2008 by mgrex03 at Stampede Blue
... It seems as though the execs at the NFL Network are trying to circumvent both Comcast and Time Warner Cable, in an attempt to get their product into every home in America.  Unfortunately, they will be selling their soul to the devil to get it. It looks as though the NFL is in talks with ESPN to combine the NFL Network with ESPN Classic.  ESPN is siting low ratings for ESPN Classic as a reason they would be interested in this deal.  The article states: One scenario that has been discussed would involve combining ...

Idle notes.
Published 6/23/2008 by Paulsen (noreply@blogger.com) at Sports Media Watch
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the NFL and ESPN have been in negotiations " for some time " to form a partnership that could finally give the NFL Network wider distribution. Some of the possibilities discussed have included combining the NFL Network with ESPN Classic, which is ...

Daily Links - Happy 30th Birthday, Champ
Published 6/23/2008 by Kyle at BroncoTalk
...   [Canadian Press] Our friend and regular commenter Ian has started a blog.  He says the Broncos will go 13-3 this season.  [Broncos Denver Broncos] Herc gives his salute to Mike Anderson.  [Orange Bucksnorts] The leader of the Tre Tre Crips - the gang whose members killed Denver Broncos CB Darrent Williams - had to drop his lawyers.  [Denver Post] NFL: Big news involving the future of the NFL on television and the NFL Network.  [Wall Street Journal] ...

November 6th Browns Game to be Simulcast
Published 7/14/2008 by Josh Temple at BroncoTalk
... Giants.  Due to overwhelming pressure of fans and a national audience, the league folded and agreed to simulcast on multiple public networks for the first time in decades.  This continues a long going feud between the NFL Network and Comcast on carrying the channel in it’s normal package lineup akin to ESPN for viewers.  Directv offers the channel within it’s standard package to all customers.  After folding on their biggest exclusive game, the NFL Network is looking at merging channels with ESPN Classic. ...