Love & Carriage

Could today be remembered as a groundbreaking day between big cable and the sports industry? Comcast and the NFL reach a long-awaited deal to bring to an end their drawn-out dispute over NFL Network, as the two sides agree to move the net to the cable provider's digital basic tier by August 1, adding 10 million homes to its distribution. The long-awaited agreement with the nation's largest cable provider likely sets the stage for similar distribution deals with other providers for the net. Meanwhile, ESPN reveals a slew of programming changes and distribution deals at its upfront presentation, most notably agreements with Comcast to carry ESPNU and ESPN360. The deals are crucially important for the two services, as ESPN's John Skipper notes ESPNU will add 21 million homes through agreements with Comcast and DirectTV. Other ESPN upfront announcements include an expanded digital rights agreement for Wimbledon coverage and a deal to power a sports area within YouTube.