NFL Network won't go dark tonight on Comcast
In a reprieve for football fans, Comcast Corp. and the National Football League said today that they are negotiating a new carriage agreement, and that the NFL Network will not go dark on Comcast's cable system at 11:59 p.m., when the current contract expires.
In a reprieve for football fans, Comcast Corp. and the National Football League said today that they are negotiating a new carriage agreement, and that the NFL Network will not go dark on Comcast's cable system at 11:59 p.m., when the current contract expires.
The talks appear to be a breakthrough for the two sides, which have sparred publicly and in court over the NFL Network for two years.
The league would like its NFL Network to be placed on Comcast's general-interest channel package; Comcast says the NFL Network is too expensive and specialized. The cable giant has placed the channel on a sports package that costs customers an extra $7 a month.
A joint statement today said: "Comcast and the NFL are engaged in productive discussions toward a new agreement for NFL Network carriage on Comcast. NFL Network will continue to be carried on Comcast systems past tonight's scheduled expiration of the current contract while both sides continue these productive discussions. We are both working to find a solution that works for NFL fans and Comcast's customers."