The Idea That Keeps on Giving
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No division trickier than the AFC East
The NFL Network recently rated the top 10 gadget plays of all-time . AFC East teams dominated the list. They were involved in over half the plays, pulling off the big stunt in five of them, but getting victimized in the biggest trick of all. 10. Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown unleashes the Wildcat on the New England Patriots in 2008. 8. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hits Wes Welker on …
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I been thinking of getting an hDTV mainly for the NFL and i want to know if FOX, CBS, air the games in HDTV? I know NFL network does bit what about local channels watching football?

You may recall that exactly one week ago, your old buddy Doug got all bonered up about NFL Network and Comcast finally reaching an amicable agreement. In particular, it was starting to sound like Comcast subscribers would not only get NFL network at no extra charge, but that we’d also get the very-excellent Red Zone Channel for free as well. I mentioned that it “seems way too good to be true” and, as it turns out, it looks like it is indeed too good to be true.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King recently said the following:

“Clarifying one thing about the Red Zone Channel on Comcast. Last week I said the league’s smart deal with the cable giant would put the Red Zone Channel (the one that jumps from game to game on Sundays, showing scoring opportunities) on Comcast’s digital tier. No so, most likely.

Other cable outfits who make deals to put NFL Network on their digital cable tiers will probably place Red Zone on a pay tier similar to the one the league argued the NFL Network shouldn’t be on. The reason is because the Red Zone Channel is added value, not something the league wanted to give Big Cable as part of the deal to make the Network more widely distributed on the regular digital tier. So if you’ve got Comcast and you want this premium channel, you’ll likely have to pay an additional $7 or so per month to get it, which, over a four-month term, is probably a reasonable cost if you’re an NFL devotee who loves immediacy and can’t wait for the halftime or post-game highlights.”

So King may have been wrong about it being free. Now hopefully he’s wrong about being wrong. In all honesty, paying $7 per month for the Red Zone Channel is still going to make it seem like a good deal to anyone who’s already excited about it. Free would make it oustanding, though — Comcastic, even.

[via Consumerist]

Is this a trick? IT FEELS LIKE A TRICK! I’m either dead or dreaming because not only did Comcast and NFL Network just reach an agreement to make NFL Network part of Comcast’s Digital Classic package, but Comcast subscribers will also get access to the Red Zone Channel that’s usually shown only on DirecTV as part of the insanely expensive Sunday Ticket package.

The Red Zone Channel, for those of you who have never witnessed it in all its glory, is a single channel that flips between live NFL games any time a particular team gets inside the 20 yard line (or “the red zone,” as it were). So if you play fantasy football or Pick’em like I do, you want to watch every minute of every game. The Red Zone Channel is the next best thing.

This still seems way too good to be true. If the season rolls around and I’m watching NFL Network as part of my regular cable package and have access to the Red Zone Channel at no extra charge, I’ll be absolutely elated.

Oh, and the actual news. Comcast and NFL Network agreed to a fee of somewhere between 40 and 50 cents per month, per subscriber, according to the New York Times. NFL Network previously wanted 70 cents, which Comcast said was way too expensive.

Ultimately, it seems, NFL Network wants eyeballs and four years of not-a-lot-of-eyeballs apparently convinced it to ease up on pricing. It’ll be truly interesting to see if DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket drops in price now, too.

[via Consumerist]