Cowboys-Packers Showdown Tough to Watch for Millions

Finally, a defining moment in the endless greed-grabbing between the National Football League, its network and cable operators.

With the NFL Network airing Packers-Cowboys tonight, football fans have become "pawns in a marketing dispute" between the NFL and cable operators, according to Michael McCarthy in USA Today.

This week, Cowboys coach Wade Philips was featured in radio spots, urging fans in select Texas markets to "sack Time Warner and switch to an NFL Network partner."

Tonight's game, matching 10-1 teams, will be "lucky to generate an audience one-fourth the size it would draw on Fox," as NFL Network is available to less than 40 percent of the 112.8 million U.S. households with televisions. Available doesn't mean viewers have the channel because its almost always on a pay-extra tier of digital cable service. So the actual potential viewing audience will be much smaller.

Photo of Packers quarterback Brett Favre by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Some fans have "taken sides in the standoff between the NFL and cable operators, but many blame both." TWC Senior VP & Chief Programming Officer Melinda Witmer said, "There's a lot of football on broadcast, on ESPN. Our customers say they're seeing enough football."

However, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who is visiting his son to watch tonight's game on DirecTV because he does not receive NFL Network, said that "fans complaining about not being able to see the game is 'something I'm hearing about a lot. I share their frustration."

A USA Today editorial goes further:

"The reason the NFL Network is not on most cable systems is the league's arrogance." The cable companies "happen to be right. They're saving millions of non-fans from an attempt by the NFL to pick their pockets."

NFL Network President & CEO Steve Bornstein writes in the opposing view the network and other independent programmers "cannot get a fair deal with Big Cable for one simple reason: We are not owned by a cable company."

That's a cop-out. The league has had ample time to make a deal with cable operators since the league announced in January 2006 that its network would carry eight regular-season games per season.

As always, even with the ultra-successful NFL, it's about greed.