The NFL Network, which would like each and every cable and satellite user in the country to indirectly pay for its niche service (end mini-rant) continues to wrestle with providers over carriage. An appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that backed up Comcast’s decision to sweep the channel to a sports tier. The NFL says it has an agreement with Comcast that requires it to put the channel in the basic package. Comast was pleased that the judge didn’t force it to put the channel back on basic cable — instead sending the whole battle back down to a lower court.
Last week, Dish Network bumped the NFL Network from America’s Top 100 to America’s Top 200 — costing the channel 4 million potential viewers – down to 31 million subs. (Disclosure: My cable service just went up four bucks a month, and I’m still annoyed)