Big Blue Huddle

I have seen an interesting point raised about this.  The NFL needed an anti-trust waiver from Congress to collectively market their TV package.   This article discusses the rest




Saturday night's game between the Dolphins and Chiefs will become the first NFL playoff game to be available only via streaming, except in the home markets of the two teams. Many object to the development because they fear that more and more playoff games will land on streaming — including (eventually) the Super Bowl.

While it's impossible to know what the NFL eventually will do, at some point the NFL will jeopardize its broadcast antitrust exemption if it puts too many playoff games on pay-only platforms.

Already, New York congressman Pat Ryan has suggested that House of Representatives explore the law that allows the league's teams to sell their TV rights collectively, based on the decision to stream a playoff game.

The NFL's push to streaming began in 2022, when the NFL moved Thursday Night Football from free on Fox to prime on Amazon. There wasn't much of an outcry over that. But this is a playoff game; for many, it represents the first step in something that could expand to more postseason contests.

That's up to the league. But the league should tread lightly. Without the broadcast antitrust exemption, the NFL would face significant liability if it forces networks that would prefer to purchase the right to televise only Cowboys home games to also take home games from all teams. Eventually, every team would do its own deal. And it would become very hard to hold the league together if one team is making $1 billion per year and another team is making $50 million per year.

That's why the NFL has always made cable-only games on TNT or ESPN available via over-the-air TV in the local markets, for more than 30 years. Taking games away from three-letter networks in local markets would imperil the antitrust exemption.

The NFL surely knows the stakes for taking streaming too far. Personally, I doubt it will expand beyond wild-card weekend. If/when it does, there will be more voices calling for the league to lose the legal exception that has helped fuel the goose that has been laying golden eggs for more than 60 years.

So, basically, there's currently no reason to think one wild-card game on a streaming platform eventually will result in the Super Bowl on a streaming platform.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-wont-overdo-it-with-streaming-its-antitrust-exemption-relies-on-that

Quote from: BluesCruz on January 13, 2024, 08:14:29 AMYeah what is the deal with her?

Not very good looking and zero memorable tunes
PR job

Matter of opinion I guess. Clearly many millions of people disagree with you.

Quote from: MightyGiants on January 13, 2024, 08:19:28 AMI have seen an interesting point raised about this.  The NFL needed an anti-trust waiver from Congress to collectively market their TV package.   This article discusses the rest




Saturday night's game between the Dolphins and Chiefs will become the first NFL playoff game to be available only via streaming, except in the home markets of the two teams. Many object to the development because they fear that more and more playoff games will land on streaming — including (eventually) the Super Bowl.

While it's impossible to know what the NFL eventually will do, at some point the NFL will jeopardize its broadcast antitrust exemption if it puts too many playoff games on pay-only platforms.

Already, New York congressman Pat Ryan has suggested that House of Representatives explore the law that allows the league's teams to sell their TV rights collectively, based on the decision to stream a playoff game.

The NFL's push to streaming began in 2022, when the NFL moved Thursday Night Football from free on Fox to prime on Amazon. There wasn't much of an outcry over that. But this is a playoff game; for many, it represents the first step in something that could expand to more postseason contests.

That's up to the league. But the league should tread lightly. Without the broadcast antitrust exemption, the NFL would face significant liability if it forces networks that would prefer to purchase the right to televise only Cowboys home games to also take home games from all teams. Eventually, every team would do its own deal. And it would become very hard to hold the league together if one team is making $1 billion per year and another team is making $50 million per year.

That's why the NFL has always made cable-only games on TNT or ESPN available via over-the-air TV in the local markets, for more than 30 years. Taking games away from three-letter networks in local markets would imperil the antitrust exemption.

The NFL surely knows the stakes for taking streaming too far. Personally, I doubt it will expand beyond wild-card weekend. If/when it does, there will be more voices calling for the league to lose the legal exception that has helped fuel the goose that has been laying golden eggs for more than 60 years.

So, basically, there's currently no reason to think one wild-card game on a streaming platform eventually will result in the Super Bowl on a streaming platform.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-wont-overdo-it-with-streaming-its-antitrust-exemption-relies-on-that

Highly biased article.

Quote from: Giant Jim on January 13, 2024, 09:24:10 AMHighly biased article.

How so?

The last paragraphs tell it all:

Or give it a try for one month at $5.99. There's a ton of great content. Just today, for example, a new series debuted based on the Ted movies.

The Office is on Peacock. Plenty of Universal movies end up on Peacock not long after the start of their theatrical run. Plenty of live sports are on Peacock.

So give Peacock a try. Enjoy the Dolphins-Chiefs game. And please realize that, before the NFL would ever shift the Super Bowl to a streaming service, it would have to be ready to surrender its antitrust exemption. Which it would be crazy to do.

The article is just a fancy advertisement.

Quote from: Giant Jim on January 13, 2024, 09:49:43 AMThe last paragraphs tell it all:

Or give it a try for one month at $5.99. There's a ton of great content. Just today, for example, a new series debuted based on the Ted movies.

The Office is on Peacock. Plenty of Universal movies end up on Peacock not long after the start of their theatrical run. Plenty of live sports are on Peacock.

So give Peacock a try. Enjoy the Dolphins-Chiefs game. And please realize that, before the NFL would ever shift the Super Bowl to a streaming service, it would have to be ready to surrender its antitrust exemption. Which it would be crazy to do.

The article is just a fancy advertisement.

I hadn't read that far, I had posted the part I read and thought was relevant.  Yeah, that's the danger of posting an NBC source discussing the game put on the NBC pay streaming service.

I tried to load Peacock on my Samsung TV. Can't get it, pre-2017 Samsung SmartTVs don't support it. I could load Peacock on my firestick which I use on my other TV. But I'm not happy about this move by the NFL, so to heck with it. I just won't watch the game.

WWE is on Peacock. So that's why we have it. Wrestlemania--yeah       

PLUS, I believe all of Yellowstone is on Peacock. (Uncut, not like what they're showing on national TV)

I am 100% behind Rep. Pat Ryan. I hope he goes hard against Godell and the NFL.

There is a petition/movement on SM to convince fans who don't already pay for Peacock to boycott paying extra for the game. I have no plans to watch it unless my NFL+ subscription has it available on repay. If you must watch the game choose a sports bar that may have it.

Refusing to pay extra for the game isn't really "boycotting" it in my opinion. That is just making a decision as a consumer. A true boycott would be to watch no NFL games this weekend. Or even to just not watching the Miami/KC game even if you already have Peacock. Clearly no NFL fan is going to go that far.

There is plenty of griping going on, and I don't disagree with it, but in the end it won't hurt the NFL. Their ratings will remain stratospheric. 

Quote from: LennG on January 13, 2024, 11:59:38 AMPLUS, I believe all of Yellowstone is on Peacock. (Uncut, not like what they're showing on national TV)

I believe Yellowstone is on Paramount

Quote from: TDToomer on January 13, 2024, 12:39:04 PMI am 100% behind Rep. Pat Ryan. I hope he goes hard against Godell and the NFL.

There is a petition/movement on SM to convince fans who don't already pay for Peacock to boycott paying extra for the game. I have no plans to watch it unless my NFL+ subscription has it available on repay. If you must watch the game choose a sports bar that may have it.

You want an elected official wasting time on this?

Watching playoff football is not a right.

[Quoting myself from another source:]

"The camel's nose is well into the tent. The NFL suits are probably already salivating over the dollars to be had by 'peacocking'* the Super Bowl in 2025 or 2026.

"This poor old country mouse retains the ability, early-learned, of visualizing a game presented on radio. I've already dusted it off and warmed it up.

"Go flag-free," Big Blue!

"* Neologism, for those who enjoy the evolution of this marvelous language of ours. All that's needed is an 'in print' citation."

Quote from: uconnjack8 on January 13, 2024, 04:05:34 PMYou want an elected official wasting time on this?

Watching playoff football is not a right.

YES! They have to stop it now before more playoff games and the SB is pay-per-view. People are scrambling to find a single bar that has bar in Boston. So far there is 1!

Don't make it seem like Congress has never investigated sports. They threatened to take MLB tax exemption away if they didn't clean up the steroid abuse and start mandatory testing. Then went further with the Mitchell Report which was Government funded.