Comcast Only Operator Planning To Carry NFL RedZone Channel

The NFL RedZone channel launches September 13, but "only Comcast, the country's biggest cable operator, plans to roll out the channel on its sports and entertainment tier, which has close to 2 million subscribers," according to John Ourand in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. All other cable operators "have passed" on carrying the channel. Several cable execs who have "seen the plans for NFL RedZone say the channel is too expensive -- the same complaint used against NFL Network." Cable sources said that the NFL's initial offer is around $0.25 per subscriber per month, a rate that "puts NFL RedZone on par with Golf Channel." Another "holdup for several cable operators is the NFL's demand that they agree to carry NFL Network in order to get access to NFL RedZone." Three of the five "biggest cable operators, Time Warner, Charter and Cablevision, still have not struck deals to carry NFL Network, deals that were expected to be struck easily once Comcast signed its deal in May and presumably set the market." But these cable operators are "still balking at the NFL's price" of $0.50-0.60 per subscriber and "tiering demands for NFL Network" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/17 issue).

FIRE UP THE PROMO MACHINE: MULTICHANNEL NEWS’ Mike Reynolds noted the NFL was “expected to kick off the promotion" for NFL RedZone during two preseason games on NFL Network Friday. Creative for the ads “will sport copy reading in part: ‘NFL RedZone, a new channel of NFL Network. Every touchdown, every game, live on HD, Sunday afternoons this fall.’” Promos for the service “will run on NFL Network” as well as on NFL.com. NFL Network reporter Scott Hanson “will host NFL RedZone … from a newly constructed, state-of-the-art studio" at its L.A. HQs (MULTICHANNEL.com, 8/14).