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Play Fair, NFL
January 5, 2007
For a football fan, the NFL Network might sound like a dream come true. All football, all the time. Why then can’t football fans in many cable markets buy the NFL Network separately from expanded-basic cable? The NFL is trying to do an end run around sports tiers and be in every cable-subscribing home, whether the individual subscriber wants them or not. The NFL will not allow cable operators to launch the NFL Network on anything but the most highly penetrated program tier -- analog basic cable. For nearly all operators, this is a technical and financial challenge.
Consumers clearly want a model more like á la carte programming. While this goal may be idealistic but impractical for many reasons, cable and its partnering network programmers should be looking at giving consumers more choices, not less. Force-feeding niche cable sports programming will only stir even more consumer contempt toward cable.
Through very slick marketing, the NFL Network has attempted to pit subscribers against their cable companies by making it appear that cable operators are depriving them of incredible sports content available on satellite. In our little corner of Rhode Island, this marketing has been less than effective.
Full Channel has received inquiries about the NFL Network from less than 0.01% of the subscriber base. In dealing directly with the customers who have contacted us, I have found that they are largely unaware of what the NFL Network really is. Some think they will see every football game in the country for free. Others think they are missing games that used to be available on other networks.
After explaining the situation to a typical customer touching on the facts that: “There are only eight live games on the network, and the NFL wants your cable bill to go up at least 70 cents monthly,” nearly all of our subscribers have stayed with Full Channel even though our Atlanta-based MSO overbuilder (Cox Communications) carries the network.
Through a targeted marketing campaign (see SportsChoiceNow.org) the American Cable Association, the voice of the nation’s independent cable operators, has pushed hard on the NFL, demanding reasonable treatment for all cable systems, big and small. So far, the NFL has thrown its weight around, ridiculed the little guy and ignored the larger issues.
The NFL has been nothing short of unreasonable with their demands. As reported in the press, the NFL is asking for nearly 70 cents from each analog basic subscriber. Like most small operators, Full Channel doesn’t have 70 cents extra per subscriber to send to the NFL.
If added, the NFL’s fee would come directly from every subscriber’s pocketbook. By refusing the NFL Network’s demands, we, along with other independent operators, are making a concerted effort to control rapidly inflating cable TV rates. As long as programmers continue to tie the hands of cable operators, consumers will have more and more reasons to turn away from cable and toward online-based video-on-demand and other alternative content delivery methods, hurting both cable operators and network programmers equally.
Posted by on January 5, 2007 | Comments (6)
