NFL Network and ESPN - What this means to you.

Yesterday an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal regarding apparent 'high level' talks between the NFL and ESPN.

To summarise the article quickly: The league seems to have given up trying to shoehorn the Network into Comcast and Time Warner's basic subscription packages. Instead, it looks like the Network would pretty much replace the little-watched ESPN Classic channel. This makes sense on a few levels for both sides. Classic is dire really, but NFLN usually only uses 3-4 different programs per day. Almost everything is repeated 2-3 times. It doesn't have enough leverage to secure itself on basic cable.

But what does this mean for us? Well, if you're a UK viewer, it means there's a distinct possibility of seeing the Network on basic SKY packages. ESPN Classic is channel 442 if you're interested, which I'm not, because it's currently showing a Rugby match from 1981. No announcement is imminent, but the fact that the two sides are talking is positive from a purely UK standpoint. It's also a huge bonus for our American readers who have previously gone without the Network because of the continued disagreement between the NFL and cable operators..

The move marks an interesting shift by the league regarding NFL Network. Previously, the station has gone toe-to-toe with ESPN, especially with it's draft coverage. Unfortunately (for the league), last year's near-blackout during the Giants and Patriots final regular season game seems to have brought the issue to a swift conclusion. When the Network carried decent programming, both sides reached a stalemate that didn't look like being resolved. The channel's availability became a national concern in 2006, when the league secured 8 regular season matchups to be broadcast exclusively on the channel.

All of a sudden, Sen. John Kerry is complaining that millions of viewers in his constituency will be unable to watch a game that could secure the first undefeated regular season for 35 years. The league capitulated, and in doing so showed the weakness that the cable operators needed to see.