So Happy Together: Comcast, NFL Network Reach Carriage Deal

NFL Network and Comcast have finalized a carriage deal that will add 10 million homes to NFL Net’s distribution. The deal will put the network on Comcast’s digital basic tier, the same tier that houses MLB Network. The NFL had been seeking a license fee of about $0.70 per subscriber per month, but eventually settled on a rate of $0.40-0.45 per sub. The agreement does not involve giving Comcast any equity in the network. The move from the sports tier to digital basic will be completed by August (John Ourand, THE DAILY). The deal also includes VOD for Comcast digital customers and the ability of offer the RedZone Channel when it is created. As part of the agreement, the two sides will drop its pending legal actions in a New York state court and at the FCC (NFL). NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello said, "Fans are the winners" (TWITTER.com, 5/19).

BOOST FOR THE NETWORK: FANHOUSE.com's Dan Graziano writes the deal is a "big boost for a network looking to get more exposure, and the league hopes it can lead to similar deals with other cable companies that have so far resisted the NFL's desire to put its network on more mainstream tiers" (FANHOUSE.com, 5/19). On Long Island, Bob Glauber writes, "This is a big deal, because it means that the NFL Network will theoretically become more widely to the general public in the near future" (NEWSDAY.com, 5/19). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio writes, "The deal likely will be lead to agreements with Time Warner and other major cable carriers, and it will allow even more people to become even more hooked on the greatest game on the planet" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 5/19).