Comcast Sacks NFL Network
New York Supreme Court Rules Operator Can Place NFL Network on Sports Tier
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 5/10/2007 11:59:00 PM
Comcast is free to kick NFL Network to a sports tier, the New York Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
It’s a major victory for Comcast, which was sued by the National Football League in December after the nation’s largest cable operator said it planned to move the football channel to a sports tier.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision in favor of Comcast. We bargained explicitly for the right to place the NFL Network on a sports tier because it is the best and fairest solution for all our customers. This decision means that our customers who are NFL fans will be able to watch the NFL Network without burdening those who are not NFL fans with extra costs,” Comcast executive vice president David Cohen said in a prepared statement.
While NFL Network said it plans to appeal the ruling, the network stands to lose significant distribution if the ruling stands.
The NFL began running games on NFL Network last fall, distributing eight games on Thursday and Saturday nights on the network. Comcast subscribers may be forced to pay extra cash this fall if the cable operator follows through on plans to move the network to a sports tier.
