The matchup tonight between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, both 10-1 teams, is not going to be available to a large number of households:
Many fans will not be able to see the game. It’s on the NFL Network, which has been in a dispute with large cable providers. The network is available in about 35 million of the nation’s more than 111 million homes with televisions.
I’m old enough to remember when fans of boxing said the same thing about marquee boxing matches being moved off broadcast TV to cable, since it was at a time when few homes had the service, so I understand the frustration of those who don’t have access to the NFL network.
My question is this: does the NFL (or any organization) have a responsibility to broadcast its games to the widest possible audience? Or should the NFL have a game like this on its network, which will then cause fans to put pressure on their cable providers to carry the station?
UPDATE: For those without NFL Network, the game is available online at NFL.com
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
follow the money, go cowboys!!!!!!!
It seems to me like the NFL has multiple obligations that need to be weighed here. I do believe that the league has an obligation to the fans of the sport, much like a business has an obligation to its clients that it needs to fulfill if it wants to stay in business.
However, the NFL also has other clients, such as the corporations and organizations the purchase advertising on NFL networks. Working to increase NFL Network’s marketshare improves the quality of the marketting service they provide to their advertising sponsors.
Ultimately, it’s up to the NFL to determine how to balance those two influences, and there is no easy answer. Obviously, it must have seemed like good business sense to local, state and regional boxing commissions and cable operators to not broadcast marquis matchups on network television, and the sport arguably suffered as a consequence. Perhaps boxing would be more popular today outside of a niche audience of devoted pugilists if they’d pushed for wider network broadcasts of highly publicized matchups in order to grow their fanbase. The NFL should feel free to attempt to grow its business, but it should be mindful of the consequences of excluding fans.
I think the above analysis is largely correct. It will be interesting to see if this gambit works for the NFL.
For what it’s worth, this issue may come up again in the last week of the season. The Patriots may be going for 16-0 against the Giants – on NFL network.
The NFL is under no obligation (Unless there is something contractual, in which I have little knowledge or interest.) like any other business. If I want to produce a new computer OS and I only plan to sell it in Seattle, WA and Milledgeville, GA, then that is my choice. If that disappoints my customers or prevents me from reaching other customers, then perhaps I have made a poor choice.
Regardless, the decision of the business entity is their decision. Any discussion about “obligation” starts to bring in threat of legislation. We don’t need politicians thinking there is another area needing regulation.
Actually, the NFL is not like other businesses. If I recall correctly, it is somewhat controlled by US anti-trust laws because it is a monopoly.
Bikkuri — How did you get the hiragana?
Vivian — The NFL has been exempted from most of the anti-trust laws, but I believe Congress may have exacted some concessions from the NFL for that exemption that allows Congress some other oversight funtions.
Anon – I am running Ubuntu and using SCIM/Anthy for my Japanese input method. I sometimes boot to Windows and use the standard MS IME. Of course, whether people can see the characters depends on whether they have character support installed. I am living in Japan and use kanji and kana regularly, so it is a necessity for me.
Vjp & Anon – as I expected, it is already sounding more involved legally than I care about. If the Seahawks are playing and I am willing to spend a few hours in dissipation, I might watch. If they are under black out regulations, too bad. When I was younger I would get into the games, but watching two groups, who I have not trained nor have any control over, compete in a game is not something in which I can become very emotionally invested. If one of my students is competing in a speech contest, or if I am competing in something (physical or mental), then I can really feel involved; and TV coverage is still not an issue.
Now, if they black-out the Super Bowl…
There are statutory exemptions from US antitrust law for football? Do link, please.
This is the best I’ve found: http://www.thesportjournal.org/2005Journal/Vol8-No1/SCJ_04_antitrust.asp
It is NOT statutory, as I had thought, but the result of some SCOTUS decisions.
So far as I know, Major League Baseball is the only pro sport with an antitrust exemption. It stems from a Supreme Court decision from the 20’s.
Bikkuri — Very cool. I am not in Japan, but I am currently working for the Japanese MoD, so I have a dozen or so co-workers in Fuchu. I am trying to learn some Japanese. The grammar isn’t bad, but the Kanji…!
Since there’s no significant public good question on this, my opinion is that the NFL should do whatever it thinks will make it the most money. If they’re willing to tick off their fans in a gambit to cash in with Big Cable, go for it. Personally, I am not willing to pay an extra dollar a month (or whatever it works out to) to get the NFL Network on basic cable. When the Patriots-Giants game comes around on NFL Network later this month, I’ll just walk the two blocks to Rock Bottom to watch it and try to avoid getting beaten up by some Jeremy Shockey clone who’s pissed the Pats went for it on 4th and goal while up 87-3.
Well, Miles, as noted, the the NFL does benefit from some special public protections (I’m not so sure about the antitrust side of things, but it absolutely does benefit from some special FCC rules). So it might have something more of an obligation to the public (if it wants to keep those benefits, anyway).
Of course, none of that should be construed to mean that I wouldn’t be just as happy to see the NFL implode and disappear. 🙂
You’re just jealous that those guys are making obscene amounts of money.
Eh. I’ve known a few ex-NFL players. I’ll take my lifetime earnings over theirs, any day. And at the same time, I’ll take my (comparatively) non-damaged brain and body.