Key Points
- Comcast and ESPN are at an impasse over NFL Network distribution on Xfinity TV; Comcast wants guarantees that NFL Network will continue airing live games before renewing a carriage deal, according to a report.
- Disney is pushing to Comcast move NFL Network to a broader tier, while Comcast resists without long-term clarity.
- The standoff could extend into the season as Comcast leverages the channel’s lighter off-season schedule.
A dispute between the Walt Disney Company’s ESPN and Comcast that has left Xfinity TV subscribers without NFL Network involves more than just the fees paid for the right to distribute the channel, according to a report published on Tuesday.
The report, from the Sports Business Journal, says Comcast wants assurances from ESPN that the NFL Network will continue to offer around a half-dozen live football games during the upcoming season before it feels comfortable inking a new distribution agreement that brings that channel and NFL RedZone back to Xfinity TV.
ESPN acquired NFL Media, the parent company of NFL Network and NFL RedZone, earlier this year. The NFL continues to program RedZone — which doesn’t broadcast during the NFL’s off-season — with ESPN taking over NFL Network’s operations.
Earlier, reports indicated ESPN would shift some live football games previously offered on NFL Network to its own streaming plan called ESPN Unlimited, which includes a bundled plan that unlocks access to NFL Network and NFL Media.
Comcast offers ESPN in its lowest-price cable plan under a previously-arranged carriage deal with Disney, and Xfinity TV subscribers with ESPN in their packages have access to ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost. NFL Network is relegated to a more-expensive programming tier specifically geared toward subscribers who want league-owned sports channels and an expanded assortment of niche networks.
According to the Sports Business Journal, Disney and ESPN are hoping Comcast will move the NFL Network back to its base programming package, which would expand the availability of the channel to more Xfinity TV subscribers. But Comcast appears unwilling to do this until it receives assurances from Disney, ESPN and the NFL that overseas games offered on NFL Network over the past few years will continue to be available on the channel.
That guarantee was less complicated when NFL Network was controlled directly by the league. Under Disney’s ownership, Comcast is seeking clarity over whether those games could eventually shift to ESPN, ABC or other Disney-owned platforms during the life of a longer-term carriage agreement.
NFL Network is expected to carry at least seven games — most of which will take place overseas — during this upcoming season. But carriage deals with cable and satellite providers typically cover a period of three to five years, and Comcast wants assurances that NFL Network will continue to offer live football games beyond this season.
Comcast may have some near-term leverage because NFL Network’s programming calendar is lighter between the NFL Draft and the start of the regular season. The channel carries pre-season games, but those are often blacked out in local markets. That dynamic could give Comcast room to hold out through the summer, though the pressure is likely to increase as the regular season approaches.
Xfinity TV customers who want access to NFL Network during the dispute can sign up for other streaming plans, including NFL Plus, Fubo and Sling TV, the latter of which offers NFL Network in a “Select” package that includes Fox News, FX and other channels for just $20 per month.
