I understand the NFL commish has authorized NBC and CBS to televize the game, but has either of them announced that it will?
I went to both networks’ web sites and couldn’t find anything on the matter.
(If this is the wrong forum, I hope the mods will move this thread to its proper home.)
It sounds like NBC has.
They’d both be complete idiots if they didn’t air it.
Thanks!
Yes, both are airing it. I heard it on Sports Center not an hour ago [eastern standard time].
YAY!
I doubt Kerry’s letter to Goodell had much to do with this, but who knows? More than likely the motivation was advertising dollars.
No, the motivation was a joint letter from the Republican and Democratic heads of the appropriate Senate committee, threatening to yank the NFL’s limited anti-trust exemption if they insisted upon limiting the showing of the game to their own network. :eek:
Glad to see them tackling the important issues of our day… :rolleyes:
For what it’s worth, the game will also be simulcast on WWOR in New York and WCBV in Boston.
As to the OP, I;m not sure why the networks would decline the opportunity to show the game. With the writers strike, the alternative was stale reruns or mediocre movies.
I hear that they are going to have Hypnotoad for the half time show.
I read the cable companies offered to show the 8 NFL network games on pay per view, but the league said no, that would be a “gimmick”, but now they’re offfering this one to two regular networks? Odd- maybe they aren’t making as much money as they thought with their harball stance.
It was announced in my local paper yesterday that both the CBS and the NBC affiliates will be airing the game. I can’t imagine we’re they’re the only ones in the country that will.
I wish they had announced this a week or two earlier. As a Pats fan living in the South, I grumbled but went ahead and upgraded to Comcast’s sports package for $5/month so I could watch the game. I figured I’d pay $5 if it were on pay-per-view, and I can cancel the upgrade after the game (which I will). However, if I had known it was going to be on two other networks, I could have saved my $5.
The NFL Network isn’t making any money now, because most of the major cable providers won’t add the channel to their basic tier. They’re hoping to force the providers to do that, and creating consumer outrage is part of their strategy for creating the necessary leverage.
For years, the way to make money on sporting events was to sell the broadcast rights to the networks. Now, there’s more money to be made by extracting subscriber fees from cable providers, which is why there has been a proliferation of niche sports networks owned by leagues and/or teams.
What’s “potentially historic” about the game? I haven’t paid attention to the NFL for years, so please keep it simple.
The Patriots could become the first team to go undefeated during the regular season since the Miami Dolphins did it in 1972.
New England could win it to go 16-0.
DOes anyone know – or have a well-reasoned opinion – if the CBS and NBC feeds will be in High Def?
I could see it either way.
HiJack
I wasin Joe’s Deli recently, a thriving but very small operation—couple of cooks and a youg lady who functioned as order taker/cashier. On the wall is a smallish HDTV, and I marveled at the picture quality.
“Hey Joe,” I called out, “do you have a bigger HD at home?”
“No,” Joe replied, and pointing to the young lady who was running the register, he added, “but she does.”
“Oh,” and looking at the gal I asked, “and how big is your HDTV?”
With eyes shyly down turned she answered quietly, “Sixty two inches,”
Honest to God.
I saw a 102 inch HDTV and a trade show earlier this year. There will probably be an even bigger one at next year’s show in May.
That’s MY senator, Patrick Leahy (D-VT) that did that for all you! 
Actually, the way I understand it, he just wanted Vermont to be included in the Boston viewing market for the game so the local network affiliates could air it. But BONUS for everyone else!!
That’s just awesome!
Another slight hijack - if the Pats go 16-0 all season and make it to the superbowl and lose I know several people who will most likely enter a deep depression for at least 8 months - or until the next season starts.