Truth & Rumors > NFL

Comcast offered NFL ownership

Views
126
Comments
0

The National Football League, still searching for a broadcast platform for its flagging NFL Network, rejected an offer from Comcast Corp. that would have given the league owners a stake in the cable company and would have shielded them from having to share cable-TV broadcast revenue with the players' union. The Comcast-NFL feud is now a bitter one, but in early 2006, Brian L. Roberts, the company's chief executive officer and chairman, offered rights fees and a substantial ownership interest in a sports channel, then called Outdoor Life Network, that could be converted into Comcast stock in exchange for broadcast rights to eight live NFL games per season. Roberts says in a recent government filing he structured the offer this way at the direction of the NFL owners, who said they would not have had to share the equity interest with the players' union as they would rights fees. Comcast has not disclosed the size of the equity stake the NFL owners were seeking, company spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice said yesterday. The package of eight games, based on other contracts, was estimated to be worth about $400 million a year. An NFL official confirmed yesterday that the league discussed a stake in the sports network, which was later renamed Versus, but said the players' union would ultimately benefit from an equity stake through dividend payments, or a sale of the asset.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Roger Goodell, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Roger Goodell, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Comments (61) Add A Comment

June 26, 2008  05:46 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

The citizens of the United States should not be sucked up into this NFL BS that is ALL about money. Having games where the general public cannot see it. They gonna hit you at every angle. Every freaking angle to try to pull you from your money and vice versa. Get your head out of your intestines! Wake up and take a stand against these high salaries not going to training camp fake freaks. They only playing football cause they freaks with large bodies or they can run fast. That's al. It's a game, keep it at that level.....

Comment has been removed
June 26, 2008  07:19 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Sports franchises are so stupid. Fans want to see games. Fans will pay to see games. Just put the games where you can see them if you pay for them, but don't make it that you have to have cable AND satellite to see games.That's greedy.

And the owners suck if they want to hide money from the players. The NFL is now in worse shape than baseball. The CBA is gone and the whole salary cap thing is going to explode. Stay tuned.

June 26, 2008  07:19 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Comcast Co. is the used-car salesman version of TV...they are huge shysters

June 26, 2008  07:19 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Now we know wh Arlen Specter backed off his call for investigations into Spygate

June 26, 2008  07:27 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Great Comcast hands free cell phones in all football helmets

June 26, 2008  07:30 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

lol @ greed.

Comment has been removed
June 26, 2008  08:27 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

We always suspected that the NFL was a bunch of w.hores. Now we know for sure.

June 26, 2008  08:28 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Other then the few games we miss a year( well, I dont), the NFL network is a waste. How much draft combine coverage can there be!!

June 26, 2008  08:31 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Comcast is a sleazy outfit and their TV service su cks too.

June 26, 2008  08:35 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Comcast is a sleazy outfit and their TV service su cks too.

Snail Male | 06/26/08, 08:31 AM

Agreed.

June 26, 2008  08:56 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

don't know about Comcast, but I can attest to the slaezyness of Time Warner. Bet they are one in the same. as for Lord Goodell, he needs to learn from David Stern on how to expand your market, but don't listen about fixing games. you have enough trouble from players. good luck getting symphathy from the working man who pays your salery.

June 26, 2008  09:04 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Comcast and Specter are two more seven-letter words that should be banned from TV.

June 26, 2008  09:05 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Bond 007 | 06/26/08, 05:46 AM
================

Thats a little too much hate for me. Honestly. Citizens of the US take pride in their sports and enjoy the games for what they are. Yes, the players are overpaid and can act like babies. But I'll take that over Europe, where people kill eachother for open support of a rival Futbol team. Thats sickening. And if our heads are in our intestines, I'll gladly take that over wherever Europeans are sticking their heads during soccer bouts.

June 26, 2008  09:13 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

I can't comment on Comcast or cable because I have DirecTV (I gave up on cable a long time ago) and I already get the NFL Network (which I've watched for all of about 4 hours in 2 years). Other than one game that I wanted to see that I couldn't get locally anywhere else, I haven't seen anything else on there that's grabbed my attention.

However, I would like to point out that the title of this article (ONCE AGAIN) is misleading. Am I not the only person who read "Comcast offered NFL ownership" and thought that the NFL was somehow offering Comcast ownership in something, not the other way around?

June 26, 2008  09:20 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Why is the NFL even talking to these sleazes? Comcast slobbers donkey nards.

June 26, 2008  09:26 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

I can't comment on Comcast or cable because I have DirecTV (I gave up on cable a long time ago) and I already get the NFL Network (which I've watched for all of about 4 hours in 2 years). Other than one game that I wanted to see that I couldn't get locally anywhere else, I haven't seen anything else on there that's grabbed my attention.

Trainwreck | 06/26/08, 09:13 AM

So then you obviously see why Comcast and Time Warner don't want to offer the NFL Network on basic cable... because to have every one of their subscribers pay for a channel they'll never watch, one that only has content worth watching for 4 nights in a given year, and one whose season only last 4 months, is totally crazy. The NFL is just looking for more cash... and they don't need it, and Time Warner and Comcast should *never* cave in to their demands. F 'em. At least the NBA Network has several games every week, and the season is October thru June...

June 26, 2008  10:00 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

This article was way too long for something about nothing.

 
June 26, 2008  10:01 AM ET
Report Abuse | QUOTE

Now we know wh Arlen Specter backed off his call for investigations into Spygate

Larry B |
what? Are you suspicious of the motives of one of our elcted officials?

Comment

Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.


Send us feedback about the new site here Send us feedback about the new site here

Stub Hub

The 2008 schedule has been released. Search for tickets!

Truth & Rumors

MOST POPULAR

  1. 1
    T.O. frustrated with Cowboys offense
    Views
    14190
    Comments
    1593
  2. 2
    Would Red Sox dare to shop Big Papi?
    Views
    11594
    Comments
    1279
  3. 3
    Red Sox, Tigers talking deal
    Views
    4110
    Comments
    102
  4. 4
    Notre Dame nixes students' recruiting plot
    Views
    8871
    Comments
    87
  5. 5
    Agent: Ocho Cinco's future in owner's hands
    Views
    7550
    Comments
    77

Most Active Users

Comments + Blog Posts + Throwdowns

  1. 1
    PimpyLooka
  2. 2
    bcoltrinari
  3. 3
    Epoch1
  4. 4
    Dyhard is Jimmie Johnson
  5. 5
    Three Tracks In Dirt

Message Boards

  1. NCAAF > General NCAAF

    The most anticipated game.
    Views
    96
    Replies
    7

  2. NCAAF > General NCAAF

    Gameday Predictions: Texas…
    Views
    71
    Replies
    4

  3. MLB > General MLB

    Shouldn't the World Series be…
    Views
    31
    Replies
    2

Blogs

SI.com

Swimsuit

Ireivy GuerraIreivy Guerra
Michelle DamonMichelle Damon

SI Photos

Baseball's $100 Million MenBaseball's $100 Million Men
Mavs DancersMavs Dancers