Cablevision has reached a multiyear carriage agreement with
the NFL Network, which will finally put the league-owned channel on the New
York area's largest TV provider.
The deal, which also includes the league's RedZone Channel, will see the network debut on
Cablevision systems Friday. It will be available to customers who subscribe to
iO Preferred, iO Silver, iO Gold or the iO Sports & Entertainment Pak.
RedZone will be part of the iO Sports & Entertainment Pak.
"We are thrilled to be partners with them," said
NFL Media COO Brian Rolapp. "This is an
important milestone for the NFL Network."
The agreement also means that NFL Network will now reach over
60 million homes. With the increased distribution, Rolapp said the league may
soon join the TV Everywhere game. "We are embracing the concept of
authentication or TV Everywhere," said Rolapp. "All these deals
account for multiple platform distribution rights."
"We know there is significant interest in the NFL Network and NFL RedZone
among our Optimum TV customers, and are pleased to have worked productively
with the NFL to offer both channels in time for the upcoming season, and for
years to come," said Mac Budill, Cablevision's executive VP of
programming, in a statement.
The deal leaves Time Warner Cable as the only major TV provider that has yet to
reach a carriage agreement with the NFL Network. "We are not talking,
regrettably," said Rolapp. "We're obviously not close."
The MSO earlier this month pulled
the NFL Network from its acquired Insight Communications systems
serving Kentucky, Indiana
and Ohio. Rolapp said they
offered a one-year extension with no price increase.
