Time Warner and NFL Network finally agree to a deal
Time Warner Cable customers across the country are fist bumping and dancing in the streets today, as the lone holdout operator has agreed to a deal as first reported by Bloomberg to carry NFL Network and NFL RedZone. NFL Network will be on the digital basic tier, while RedZone will be on the sports tier.
This was a deal ten years in the making, and after Cablevision agreed to carry the network, TWC was the only major carrier left without a deal. The expansion of Thursday Night Football from 8 to 13 weeks was likely a tipping point for TWC's desire to get a deal done.
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reported the RedZone channel will be live in time for Sunday's games, while the network itself will be available in time for Thursday night's game between the Ravens and Browns.
TWC finally carrying these two channels was long awaited and a source of contention among TWC customers. Finally, it's happened. With this obstacle out of the way, we can turn our attention to the regional college networks (Pac 12 Network, I'm looking at you) and their neverending quest to be carried nationally.
[h/t: Bloomberg, Sports Business Daily]
@greggateley Sad part is that NFL Network-Time Warner deal after the Giants game last night!!! Fuck!!!
@awfulannouncing I was so convinced that Time Warner would never cave that I expected this to be a Rick Roll.
o/ RT @awfulannouncing: FINALLY! Time Warner and NFL Network have agreed to a deal. Details here. http://t.co/3QPoUd8S
God Bless Us, Every One! RT @awfulannouncing FINALLY! Time Warner and NFL Network have agreed to a deal. Details here. http://t.co/buMQ6vzd
Were the owners of the facilities consulted and paid when the NFL made that deal with DirecTV? If not (and with one exception, I'm willing to bet that they weren't) then the deal is illegal. You can't sell exclusive rights to something that you don't actually own. You cannot hold events in stadia funded with public money and deny access to the people who paid for the facility.
This TWC customer isn't bumping and dancing in the street. Why? Because we're still blocked from getting NFL Sunday Ticket. Until that abominable and counterproductive restriction is lifted, this "agreement" has no teeth.
