Interesting article here from the LA Times. The LA Times is reporting that if the NFL expands it's regular season to 18 weeks, it's possible that the NFL could carve out a portion of their expanded schedule and create a new TV package, similar to what the NFL did for the games appearing on The NFL Network.
The last time the NFL did this, VERSUS, which is owned by Comcast Cable (the nation's largest cable provider), was the rumored front runner until the NFL decided to park it's late season schedule of games on it's NFL Network and as Iowans know, this has done little to get Mediacom, Iowa's largest cable provider, to add The NFL Network. If the NFL Network had a full 18 game schedule, that would put more pressure on Mediacom to add the NFL Network, but at what price to it's subscribers and in in particular, subscribers who could care less about sports?
Despite Comcast & the NFL coming to agreement a year or two ago for The NFL Network, Comcast is still sore at the NFL for selling it's Sunday Ticket Package excursively to DirecTV, even though DirecTV was the highest bidder. Comcast getting an NFL package and putting it on VERSUS, would further legitimatize the once all hunting and outdoors channel as a player in the sports TV world.
Who knows what will happen in 2012, that's the target date for an expanded NFL Schedule, but first things first, the NFL & the NFLPA need to get their labor issues squared away with.
Link to article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/08/nfl-18-game-season-tv.html
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