Comcast Demands NFL Network Stop Urging Fans to Flee Cable

Now Comcast is going on the offensive against the NFL Network, which begins its telecast schedule Thanksgiving night with the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts playing the Atlanta Falcons.

The nation's largest cable company, has sent "a cease-and-desist letter" to the NFL Network demanding the channel's representatives stop asking fans to leave the cable provider.

Funny how these two money-making behemoths ping pong back and forth as if either side is actually dealing with revenue stream problems.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, chairman of the league's NFL Network committee, has in recent weeks been publicly urging customers of Comcast and other giant cable companies which put include the NFL Network on a basic tier to switch to satellite.

Photo of Jerry Jones by Rob Tringali.

The NFL Network sued Comcast after the cable provider decided to move the channel from its basic digital tier to a premium sports tier that customers must pay extra to receive. In May, Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Bernard J. Fried ruled in favor of Comcast. The network has appealed.

The letter requests that the network confirm in writing by the close of business Friday that it has halted its efforts to influence customers. Comcast spokeswoman Jennifer Khoury told the Associated Press she didn't want to speculate what the company would do if its demands weren't met.

Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is "not in negotiations" with any of the top cable operators, including Comcast and Time Warner, for NFL Network, according to according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"We are not close to a deal. And we don't expect these games will be on television, unfortunately." He added Comcast can put NFL Network "on the broader distribution right now, and if they want to go broader than that, we would support that also."

Goodell said that the net's contract with Comcast expires in April 2009, and if the issue "isn't resolved by then, it's doubtful the league will strike another deal with Comcast"

The NFL Network commenced in 2003 to provide 24-hour coverage of the league. It began showing eight live games last season but is available in only about 35 million of the nation's 112.8 million homes with televisions.

Imagine how much money the two sides could reap if they actually stopped bickering?