NFL Network will carry eight prime-time games
Local fans that are Time Warner cable subscriber, worried about missing their Chargers play, shouldn’t get overly stressed. However they could miss a few prim-time match ups next season.
The NFL Network will broadcast eight prime-time games on Thursdays and Saturdays beginning next season. The games will air on five Thursday nights and three Saturday nights. CBS and Fox no longer will televise late-season Saturday afternoon games.
Local fans concerned on not see their Chargers play shouldn’t worry. If the Chargers are featured in one of these games, home or away, it would be aired locally for free on over-the-air television. Granted home games will continue to be governed by the NFL blackout policy. Not that you’d care if you were sitting in the stadium at one of our home games anyways.
With the games coming to NFL Network, the biggest question for many in San Diego is... When will NFL Network come to Time Warner Cable? Depending where you live in San Diego dictates if you have Time Warner cable, which currently doesn’t carry the leagues 24/7 football channel. The NFL Network is available to Cox Cable, DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers in the San Diego area. And for many in San Diego they are hoping Time Warner will be added to the list before the opening kickoff next fall.
NFL Network to televise regular-season gamesNFL Network, the NFL's two-year-old television channel, will begin airing a "run up to the playoffs" package of eight primetime regular-season NFL games starting in the 2006 season, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced.
The eight-game package will consist of primetime games airing from Thanksgiving to the end of the regular season on Thursday and/or Saturday nights.
The inaugural game of the package is scheduled for Thanksgiving night on Thursday, Nov. 23, as part of a new Thanksgiving Day tripleheader. Games telecast on NFL Network will include pregame and postgame shows.
"After discussing this new package of games with many potential partners, we decided it would be best presented on our own, high-quality NFL Network, which has developed so rapidly that the time had come to add live regular-season games to the programming," Commissioner Tagliabue said. "In the end, we wanted these games on our network, which is devoted 24/7 to the sport of football, and not on a multi-sport network."
NFL Network will make all of its games available on free, over-the-air television in the participating team markets, continuing the NFL's long-standing practice of making all of its games, including the playoffs and Super Bowl, available on free, over-the-air television.
"The NFL has traditionally been at the forefront of innovation and new technology dating back to starting NFL Films in the ‘60s, and Pete Rozelle and Roone Arledge creating Monday Night Football in 1970," said Commissioner Tagliabue. "With NFL Network, we are creating a fresh, innovative programming package that will complement all of our television partners."
NFL Network's new eight-game package was created by shifting Saturday and Sunday games from previous arrangements. In November of 2004, CBS and FOX agreed to extend their packages for six more years. NBC and ESPN last April secured rights for six and eight years, respectively.
"It was decided after surveying the rapidly evolving media landscape that a year-round channel dedicated to our sport was the best way to continue to develop and serve our fan base," NFL Network President & CEO Steve Bornstein said. "This is an opportune time to present these games ourselves and develop new ways to deliver the game of football at all levels to sports fans."
Agreements for all available NFL television packages now are concluded. Following are the rights holders beginning in 2006:
CBS -- AFC package -- Sunday afternoons [1 & 4 p.m. ET]
FOX -- NFC package -- Sunday afternoons [1 & 4 p.m. ET]
NBC -- Primetime broadcast package -- Sunday evenings [8:15 p.m. ET]
ESPN -- Monday Night Football package -- Monday evenings [8:30 p.m. ET]
NFL Network -- Special Late-Season package -- Thursday and/or Saturday evenings [8 p.m. ET] (beginning Thanksgiving)
DirecTV -- Sunday Ticket satellite package [1 & 4 p.m. ET]
| Like this post: 
Digg it!
Comments
I'm wondering if these late season NFL Network games are going to be broacast in High-Def?? I have COX, and as of right now the NFL Network is NOT a high definition channel. That really stinks if the games aren't in HD because all prime time games this season were available in HD.
Lew (January 30, 2006 10:50 AM)
What time Warner needs to do is sign up with NFL Network so those people that have it can see those games.
CHRSC (January 31, 2006 12:00 PM)
I have the NFL Network channel w/ COX (ch. 332). I don't understand... Are they going to broadcast the games on that chanel, or will we have to pay for another channel like NFL Network In Demand or something...?
Steven (January 31, 2006 12:57 PM)
Steven - It will air on the same channel, whatever channel NFL network is assigned with your cable provider.
Joel Price (January 31, 2006 2:08 PM)
will there be an extra fee added to my cox bill by watching these games?
tony (February 2, 2006 12:54 AM)
The Dish Network does not presently carry NFL Ticket. Direct TV does. The NFL executives hope that by scheduling games available only through the NFL Ticket. That all cable and dish providers will include NFL Ticket in the basic programs offered.
bob howard (February 2, 2006 5:51 AM)
bob howard - The NFL Network is on Dish Network (Satellite: 110, Channel: 154, Transponder: 21) and this announcement has nothing to do with NFL Ticket.
tony - It depends on the "bundle" that you have on your Cox account. I don’t have Cox but I believe its part of the Cox Digital Package which includes the NFL Network and other premier channels.
Joel Price (February 2, 2006 11:15 AM)
Thank you Joel, I did get NFL ticket and NFL network confused. However I subscribed to Dish network for a period of five years and each year I would call and try to get NFL Network. Now that I have Direct TV Dish also offers it. But now I have confidence that you have all the facts.
bob howard (February 2, 2006 1:44 PM)
I live in Northwest Pennsylvania. Unfortunately I'm subjected to Time Warner Cable. We did have Adelphia, which carried NFL Network. But now Time Warner has taken over and now has a message posted on the channel saying how "We would be paying a premium price to watch eight out of market games" and that Time Warner "is trying to negotiate a better deal". Premium price? WTF! How would it affect my cable bill? Unless they had an on demand channel that required you to pay for the games or jack up the price on my cable bill. I think it's time to go to the dish.
Mitch (August 2, 2006 7:04 AM)
Timewarner just took over for comcast in providing my cable (I'm up in LA). I go from nfl network to no nfl network.
TWC providing NFL network could increase your monthly cost by about 90 cents. That said, Time Warner has TONS of channels that I don't give two hoots about, and those channels' costs is factored into my bill. I care about about having the NFL Network (especially now that they will be carying live games) more than I do about Lifetime or Oxygen, but the cost I'm paying pays for Lifetime and Oxygen, even though I don't watch them. As this is the situation, it's PERFECTLY understandable for those Lifetime and Oxygen watchers who don't watch NFL network to subsidize my NFL Network watching - after all, I'm already subsidizing their channels.
But Time Warner doesn't see it that way. :|
I'm with you on switching to the Dish if it comes down to it.
Charles Modica (August 2, 2006 11:57 AM)
Same situation in Orange County/LA area, Comcast was taken over by Time Warner. Went from NFL Network to no NFL Network. The NFL should organize a petition for paid cable subscribers to get NFL Network on Time-Warner.
James Jauregui (August 2, 2006 3:37 PM)
Agreed. Bad situation, and Time Warner looks to be digging its feet in - they're advising people that are complaining to go to www.nflgetreal.com, a site they set up to let people send nfl network pro time warner messages. Not my idea of voicing my complaints.
Made me start up www.timewarnergetreal.com out of frustration... going to try to get a petition working there as well.
Charles (August 2, 2006 9:19 PM)
same in cincy no nfl network on time warner channels been around for 3 years i swear time warner takes forever to add new stuff.
Ronnie (August 5, 2006 6:22 PM)
When does the excusive contract for the Sunday Ticket end with Direct TV? Will it be available to cabe companies like Time Warner?
Randy Simmons (September 25, 2006 7:07 PM)
DirecTV and DISH both have NFL Network in HD, Cox just doesn't have it. The game replays are in HD too.
Bill (November 19, 2006 8:05 PM)