Cablevision deal with NFL Network puts pressure on Time Warner Cable (updates with reaction)
Time Warner Cable is now on the clock.
Cablevision and the NFL Network announced an agreement Thursday that they reached a multiyear agreement to have the channel on the cable system. The channel debuts on Cablevision on Friday.
That means eight of the top nine cable companies in the country are providing NFL Network to its subscribers. The lone holdout? Time Warner Cable.
The dispute between TWC and NFL Network has been over where the channel should be placed. NFL Network wants to be on basic cable, but TWC wants to place it on its Sports Pass package. The Sports Pass package has channels like NHL Network, NBA TV and CBS Sports Network. It is an additional $5.95 for those channels.
But with Cablevision signing up with NFL Network, TWC will now feel the pressure from its customers who want NFL Network. The channel now has a regular Thursday night schedule, and fans who have TWC won't be able to see those games.
If TWC continues to hold its stance, it will lose subscribers to DirecTV and Dish Network. It's time to get a deal done.
NFL Media chief operating officer Brian Rolapp spoke about the situation with Time Warner during a conference call Thursday.
"We are not talking, regrettably, so, as a result, we're obviously not close," Rolapp said. "The issues for us are a bit perplexing. Certainly with this Cablevision deal, and you look at the rest of the pay-TV universe, the market has been cleared for some time around the NFL Network and the RedZone, both in levels of distribution and pricing, and everything else. We believe there were plenty of reasons to carry the NFL Network before this season and the RedZone; there are now even more with these 13 games which we've not asked for substantial price increases from anyone for these extra games.
"Time Warner recently also dropped the NFL Network to customers on former Insight systems, mainly in the Cincinnati market and others. They acquired Insight; Insight had been a partner of the NFL since 2005. We actually offered to extend that agreement for one year at zero price increase; in fact, just change the date on the agreement and let's not deprive fans of service. We wouldn't ask for more money, even though we were putting more games on the network, and they refused that. Why they're not carrying the network is a better question for them. Clearly the rest of the industry is and is happy with it; they have struck deals, they are renewing deals and the level of the service and the quality of the service speaks for itself."
Jennifer Reed Holick, communications manager for TWC Albany, said, "We remain hopeful that we can reach a resolution. But we have been close before, only to have it fall apart, so we need to be cautious about predicting success."
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