Football

[Tom]

What's this NFL network I keep seeing commercials for?
Something coming in November.......could they going to put ALL games on pay-for-view??? :(

[BillW]

Originally posted by Tom
What's this NFL network I keep seeing commercials for?
Something coming in November.......could they going to put ALL games on pay-for-view??? :(
Tom,

I got the impression it was something similar to the NBA network. Lots of "Greatest Games replayed/reviewed. Probably live wrap-ups each week etc.

Great joy among the ranks of the Steve Sabol fan club. :D

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/home

Bill

[Pace Cap'n]

I don't know about this new network, but I do recall a discussion from years back when Al Davis first took the Raiders south.

The gist of it was: The physical presence of fans attending games is, from a return-on-investment standpoint, a major financial drain on NFL owners, and given their choice, they would stage their games in empty stadiums. Al Davis was anticipating the cable TV boom in SoCal (cable was just getting in there at the time), the largest market in the US, and thought he would be getting a jump on the other owners should they be successful at eliminating fans from games.

This is not unlike what Magna is doing with the new track in NoCal
that will be geared toward simulcast. Track grandstands are virtually deserted already, so it's possible that, sooner or later, racing will end up as a TV show.

[ceejay]

I have a hard time believing that the NFL doesnt care about fans in the stands for financial reasons. Just look at ticket prices (average $52.95 each) http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/sports/football/nfl/story/988447p-6942096c.html

Average attendance is 66292 this year http://www.canoe.ca/StatsFBP/BC-FBP-STAT-NFLATTEND-R.html which comes out to about 17,000,000 total attendcnce.

That comes out to about $900,000,000 (not to mention consessions, parking, ...) just for regular season. Now I know that there are costs involved in staging the events but I have a hard time beleiving that this is a major (or even a minor) financial drain. If the NFL really thinks that I'd be glad to buy the rights to stage the events from the league and operate the games.

[Pace Cap'n]

Surprised me too.

Unfortunately, the article is too old by about 20 yrs. for me to cite a source. It stuck in my mind because of the contrarian thesis.

That was at a time before the owners had perfected the art of getting the local goverments to finance and build the stadia for them, and many of them were old and crumbling and in need of replacement, not an insignificant financial undertaking. Even now, I would assume much of the fan revenue goes to rent and maintenance. It's my understanding that the only owner that owns his own stadium is Jerry Jones, but don't quote me on that.

Additionally, I think the financial boon expected to be provided by pay-per-view in the 1980's was somewhat exaggerated.

One more contrary thought: I also read somewhere that winning the Super Bowl was financial burden on a team. Buying the rings, gifts, the travel, extra games, the higher salaries to follow, etc. Seems some owners would rather not bother. They are guaranteed a profit from TV reveues and for them that's enough. Futures bettors should want to be sure they are getting a run for their money, and not going to be stiffed.

[ceejay]

I think that the Redskins own their park too, but don't quote me on that!