More NFL Fun

Time Warner Cable on Wed responded to the NFL Net’s free preview offer with at least some accommodation. TWC pres/CEO Glenn Britt penned a letter to NFL Net pres/CEO Steve Bornstein offering 2 options: expanded basic carriage of only the Texas Bowl (including pre- and post-game coverage) by using a spot typically earmarked for overflow sports programming, or digital tier carriage of the entire week-long preview. Britt cited channel capacity restrictions on the MSO’s basic and expanded basic tiers, While noting that three-fourths of TWC’s NY/NJ-area subs receive the digital tier, Britt said that the MSO prefers “the first approach… but we are willing to pursue either path.” NFL Net refused comment on either scenario. Britt also said that both parties should cease battling each other in the media during the preview week, and should refrain from “on-channel messages that are hostile to one another.” In another bit of seasonal cheer, Britt offered to pay for joint ads announcing the preview as a “Holiday Gift” to customers. An NFL Net spokesperson said Cablevision has yet to submit a response to the preview offering (Cablevision declined comment). — ACA, meanwhile, is taking aim at NFL Net by launching http://www.sportschoicenow.org. The Website provides a direct link for visitors to contact the Hill and tell their reps that they want the channel on a sports tier and that they don’t want to be forced to pay for it. ACA is sending the site, congressional letters and a 30-sec video spot (click here) to its 1100 ACA members “to unite with their 8 million customers in demanding choice for smaller market and rural customers and for independent cable operators across the United States,” said pres/CEO Matt Polka. NFL Net’s Seth Palansky gave us this zinger in response: “They should add a third option after yes, no. It should be marked maybe. ‘Maybe I should exchange my cable box for a satellite dish like millions of Americans have’.” Ouch.