shouting loudly

NFL Network v. cable companies: Fans lose

In an effort to create ever-greater profits, the NFL is now running 8 live games per season on the NFL Network.

Just 40 million households will be able to see the Broncos-Chiefs game on Thanksgiving. As an NFL fan generally and a diasporic Broncos fan in particular, I find this arrangement particularly objectionable.

Living out of market, I already miss most of their games because I refuse to spend (insert ridiculous sum here) per month for a dish so that I can get NFL Sunday Ticket. I loathe 99% of what’s on TV, so I’m not getting cable or a dish any time soon. I just settle for the games that are broadcast in my local market. I was excited to see that the Broncs will play on Thanksgiving again this year, but then I was disappointed to learn that economics (okay, greed) will keep me from seeing it.

I’m glad that Congress has taken up this issue as an antitrust concern. Personally, I will go out of my way to avoid any product advertised during any NFL games until the NFL reverses this anti-competitive behavior.