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NFL Gains Victory in Cable Dispute

Washington Post, 10/13/2008

The Federal Communications Commission ruled late Friday that Comcast should carry the NFL Network on its digital basic package.

The FCC ruled that Comcast discriminated against the league-owned NFL Network by deciding to carry it on a sports tier. The cable company maintained that many subscribers who didn't want the NFL Network would have to pay more for service if the carrier was forced to put the channel on its basic package.

The NFL Network had filed a complaint in May.

The ruling is a victory for the NFL in its long-running disputes with Comcast and several other large cable carriers over distribution and pricing. The disputes have kept the NFL Network in far fewer U.S. households than the league's franchise owners had envisioned when they opted to put a package of prime time games on Thursday and Saturday nights on the league's own channel instead of selling the games to another network for a rights fee.

The dispute received increased attention late last season when the NFL Network was to carry the New England Patriots' regular season finale against the New York Giants as the Patriots tried to complete the first 16-0 regular season in league history. The league agreed to have that game carried on NBC and CBS as well as the NFL Network.

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