Public Demand For NFL Net Game Nets Net Loss Of 4 Million Homes

You read that right.
.
Because of the enormous ratings NFL Network's coverage of the 2007 regular season finale earned, the league-owned carrier will lose viewers.
.
Go figure.
.
Sports Business Daily via The Sporting News reports that EchoStar's Dish Network will remove the NFL Network service from it's most popular "America's Top 100" programming package. Only subscribers paying higher monthly fees for the "America's Top 200" tier will be able to receive the channel, a difference of four million households.
.
Broadcasting And Cable quotes a NFL Network statement:

“We are aware of Dish's unfortunate decision, which is not in the best interest of its many subscribers who are football fans, especially this week, with NFL Network's exclusive coverage of the scouting combine featuring incoming college players from all over the country.”

EchoStar's actions would seem to be in retaliation for the NFL's decision to allow both CBS and NBC to carry the December 29, 2007 game between the Patriots and Giants which was originally scheduled as an NFL Network exclusive. Because of an ongoing dispute with the USA's largest cable TV companies, Dish Network was one of the few national service providers football fans could turn to for NFL Network programming last season. Allowing the most in-demand regular season game in decades to be aired on free terrestrial TV potentially cost Dish Network new subscribers.
.
NFL Network is now available in thirty one million homes nationally.

LOOK, UP IN THE SKY... IT'S A BIRD... IT'S A PLANE... NO, IT'S JUST A BAD GAME!

Stricken with a sore throat and hoarse voice, Bryant Gumbel will miss NFL Network's broadcast of Thursday's Denver - Houston game.

This is particularly ironic because a much sought after demographic won't be able to hear Tom Hammond (pinch hitting for Gumbel) nor analyst Chris Collinsworth anyway.

DirecTV, exploiting the ongoing feud between NFL Network and the nation's largest cable operators, will "air" the game (and the balance of NFL Network's live game schedule) via the 70 x 30 foot screen on the side of their blimp. DirecTV plans to fly the blimp over the Tampa - St. Pete area for Thursday's game as well as Saturday night's Cincinnati - San Francisco contest. Next week, NFL Network's two games will be visible to sky watchers in the Orlando area.

As the blimp can cruise at altitudes of no lower than 1,000 feet, viewers will literally only view the game. They'll have to imagine what the announcers are saying.

The DirecTV blimp will target areas whose cable companies do not offer the channel in the hopes of gaining subscribers along with the publicity.

Nobody has said who will take responsibility for any traffic accidents that may occur as a result of the obvious distraction to Florida's many elderly motorists.