At Deadline: Comcast Says It's Moving NFL Net to Sports Tier

Comcast was already gearing up Thurs to move NFL Net to a sports tier, after the NY Supreme Court ruled that its contract allows the shift. Comcast said it will move the net to a tier in all systems after it gives notice to subs (starting next week) and once it notifies the NFL. In some cases it could be 30 to 60 days before the net will actually be moved, a spokeswoman said. NFL Net is looking forward to another showdown in court. "The final word on this issue is most likely going to come from the appellate courts. If this decision is upheld, the biggest harm will be to consumers. They will have to pay more for less," said a net spokesman. The NFL sued Comcast in Oct after the MSO said it would launch the net on a sports tier in recently acquired cable systems. Sources said the MSO had planned to move the net company-wide at the start of ’07. The net has been steadfast in its stance against sports tier carriage, pulling its signal from Charter in ’05 after the MSO moved it to a tier. Its refusal of sports tier carriage has also been a roadblock in carriage discussions with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision. "We bargained explicitly for the right to place the NFL Network on a sports tier because it is the best and fairest solution for all our customers," said Comcast evp, David Cohen. "This decision means that our customers who are NFL fans will be able to watch the NFL Network without burdening those who are not NFL fans with extra costs."