Who Else Will Enter The NFL RedZone?
Dish Network has joined Comcast in the NFL RedZone.
Although some might view it as an upset considering the parties’ past legal wrangling, the No. 2 satellite provider’s decision to add NFL Network’s new scoring channel was inevitable as a punt crashing into the giant scorecard hovering above the playing field at Jerry Jones’s palatial Cowboys Stadium.
After all, Dish has long played second fiddle when it comes to rival DirecTV’s sports programming prowess, particularly with the latter’s Sunday Ticket exclusivity.
Now, Dish will give its subscribers a chance to check out all the pro pigskin scoring chances on Sundays, as the new service — kicking off Sept. 13 with the first weekend of the 2009-10 season — takes viewers around the league when teams move inside the 20-yard-line.
The addition of NFL RedZone to its $5.99 monthly sports tier should provide for another play or three to the provider’s current ‘Why Pay More For TV’ campaign, even if it’s a variation on its competitor’s Red Zone Channel and certainly not a true substitute for the pricey Ticket.
Still, who would have bet the over last spring that Dish and Comcast would be the first carriers to put NFL RedZone into play? Both distributors were then knocking helmets in different legal venues with NFL Network.
But after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts both became personally involved in the negotiations, the nation’s top distributor, which had migrated NFL Network to a sports tier, reversed field and moved the service and its eight primetime games to its Digital Classic package. The move on Aug. 1 to the operator’s second most widely penetrated tier added some 9 million subs for NFL Network. During the May conference call announcing the deal, Roberts said the nation’s leading distributor would position NFL RedZone on its Sports Entertainment Package, a play call that became official on Aug. 24.
A month before, Dish and NFL Network reached an out-of-court settlement under which Dish is continuing to carry NFL Network on its Classic Silver 200 programming package over a multiyear term. Dish had pulled NFL Network from the “free preview” on its America’s Top 100 package, moving it to its AT200 tier on Feb. 20, 2008, in response to the channel’s decision to simulcast a Dec. 28, 2007 game on CBS and NBC that featured the then-undefeated New England Patriots against the New York Giants. That play cost NFL Network about 4 million subs.
While it certainly is good news for NFL Network that these top players are in its RedZone huddle, the question at this writing remains: Who’s next?
Distributors like Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Charter and Suddenlink, which have kept NFL Network on the sidelines over pricing and positioning issues, were expected to get in the game following Comcast’s announcement last spring.
That hasn’t happened yet. And now the real deadline isn’t Nov 12, when NFL Network airs its first primetime game, the Chicago Bears-San Francisco 49ers.
It’s less than three weeks away from the kickoff of NFL RedZone.
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bruthermark commented:
for those of you NOT in the know, this is not a new channel for us sunday ticket, superfan subcribers. we've had this channel for three years running. It's a nice bone to throw to those who don't have s.T. those of you claiming to be going from direct to dish, you're CRAZY!.
jamesMc commented:
call 877-337-4410 ext 6843.ill hook you up with the redzone.. authorized retailer for dish network..cheapest satelite t.v ask for james
nk commented:
I would love for Cablevision to pick up this channel but I doubt that they will. Over and over they have stated they will not pick up the NFL Network and I assume Red Channel because the NFL has given DirecTv exclusive rights to the Sunday Ticket. Cablevision's point is why should we pay for a channel with 8 games or just plays inside the Red Zone. I think the Red Zone is a good compromise. The NFL can't charge a ton for plays inside the 20 and it allows NFL programming to reach a greater audience. However considering they just put the Tennis channel on their pay tier, maybe there is some hope.
BIllinGA commented:
Brilliant move by Dish to pick it up. I now have no reason to want to switch to Direct. From what I understand, many that have Direct's Sunday Ticket view their version of Red Zone the most.
Ron Cori commented:
I am currently a Directv customer, but I'm about to switch to Dish Network or Cox because I want the NFL Redzone channel. I'd rather pay $5.99 a month for the sports package with Dish or cable than $400 for NFL Sunday Ticket and Superfan; both of which are needed in order to get the Redzone Channel.
Cory commented:
I just hope Directv doesn't keep their customers in the dark. So what if they do have the sunday ticket or not let them get this channel.
Jason commented:
I am currently a Directv customer, but I'm about to switch to Dish Network because I want the NFL Redzone channel. I had the Redzone Channel last year with Directv and it was awesome, but I'd rather pay $5.99 a month for the sports package with Dish, than $400 for NFL Sunday Ticket and Superfan; both of which are needed in order to get the Redzone Channel.
HatesRedZone commented:
I CAN'T STAND THIS CHANNEL! If you're sitting down to watch a football game, are you really going to be satisfied just watching the plays inside the red zone? I wasn't. No surprise that Cablevision is gonna pick this up eventually, yet again they disappoint me on the service they're providing.
Jake commented:
I don't get it, I'm paying a premium for Cablevision's 'service' but I'm not getting premium channels like RedZone! I'm going to jump ship soon if Cablevision doesn't get it's act together and stop skimping on the channels!