Verizon FiOS became the latest pay television provider to add the NFL RedZone channel, which makes its debut on September 13th. Verizion follows Dish Network and Comcast in offering the new NFL channel which will only be broadcast on NFL Sundays this year.
Unlike Dish Network and Comcast, Verizon will offer the channel on a stand alone basis, rather than on a sports tier. Verizon FiOS also will be charging quite a bit more than Dish Network and Comcast, offering the channel for $49.99 for the 17 week NFL season. Dish TV is offering the NFL RedZone channel on the Multi-Sport tier for $5.99 per month, which would only be about $30 for the full season if you kept the package for five months.
Verizion FiOS, the third major distributor of the NFL Red Zone channel has more than 1 million subscribers, and is now available to more than 10 million homes. Verizon will position the standard definition version of the NFL Red Zone on channel 335 and RedZone HD on channel 835. At this time, Verizon has no plans to offer the channel for either a weekly or monthly fee, it is the whole season or nothing.
The news brings some solace to those who love Verizon FiOS service, but have been locked out of the NFL Sunday Ticket package, and the Superfan add-on which carries the original Red Zone channel. DIRECTV will continue to have a stranglehold on the full NFL package until at least 2014, as an extension of the current Sunday Ticket contract was inked over the summer.
The new NFL RedZone channel is separate from the DIRECTV Red Zone channel offered in the Superfan package. The DIRECTV version has quickly become a fan favorite with its commercial free coverage of the latest NFL action. While rumor has it that the NFL version will be commercial free, nothing is stated either way on the NFL RedZone site as to whether commercials will be a part of the network.
There is still no word from major cable companies Cox and Time Warner Cable or from AT&T U-verse on whether they will pick up the new NFL channel for the 2009 season.
You might also enjoy...
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
does verizon give an online feature like direct tv does?