With the New England Patriots winning again this weekend, an easy 34-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, satellite TV operators DirecTV and Dish Network must be salivating. Why? The prospect of more cable tv converts on the horizon.
The Patriots face the New York Jets this weekend, and the Miami Dolphins after that. So the prospect of New England entering the final weekend of the season against the New York Giants with a perfect 15-0 record is highly likely. That sets up the mother of all confrontations between the NFL Network and cable tv operators Comcast and Time Warner.
The propaganda battle has by this point turned off most Americans, tired of seeing billionaires like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft fight with huge corporations that bring in billions in revenue each year. But while some are begging for mercy from the NFL and Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network sit back and collect the new customers. Both satellite television providers were able to reach early agreements with the NFL Network, and thus have been able to attract the avid sports fan who wants his football fix.
How many customers have made the jump? While official figures are not being released, Echostar spokesman Parker McConachie says the satellite television company Dish Network experienced “significant increases” in subscribers in areas where NFL Network games weren’t seen locally, according the Rocky Mountain News. Such was the case in Wisconsin and Texas prior to the recent Thursday night game between Dallas and Green Bay.
So the clock keeps ticking toward week 17 in the NFL. Bill Belichick and the Pats continue to pound the opposition into submission, and the Jets and Dolphins will be no exception. That will leave most of the drama off the field, as the NFL-Cable TV dispute will continue to dominate headlines.
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