The NFL Network was launched in 2003, based on the league’s perception that fans wanted more football coverage than what was provided by ESPN and other sports channels. The channel provides 24 hours of coverage, with thousands of hours of original programming each week. Several cable companies, including Time Warner, Comcast, and Cablevision, have refused to include the channel as part of their basic cable packages. Instead, these companies want to include NFL Network as part of their “sports tiers,” meaning that fans who want access to the channel must pay extra for the access. This debate has been summarized sufficiently on NFL Network’s Wikipedia entry.
Is this channel really a Mecca for all football fans? Is it really so great that fans should stand up to these cable companies that refuse to offer the channel for free? The answer is that NFL Network provides quality programming, but the repetition of programming and the endless self-promotion efforts are often enough to make even the biggest fan turn the channel.
The Bad
I will state from the outset that I watch the NFL Network and generally enjoy the programming. However, this review starts with the negative aspects of the channel in an effort to provide some objectivity.
1. Self-Promotion
The only channel that rivals NFL Network in terms of shamless acts of self-promotion is ESPN. This stands to reason, given that President and CEO Steve Bornstein (also the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Media) is the former chairman of ESPN. Moreover, two former executives of NFL Network were also hired from ESPN. Self-promotion comes in every form– advertisements, comments made by hosts, and the like. It would be one thing if this occurred when the NFL Network were in the middle of some sort of special promotion, trying to encourage viewers to become hooked on NFL Network. However, NFL Network promotion takes place during every hour of every day. At some point, viewers know not only that they are watching NFL Network, but also why they are watching NFL Network. Viewers don’t need yet another ad reminding them what they are watching and why they are watching it.
2. Repetitive Ads
Acts of self-promotion alone would not be so bad if these acts weren’t repeated over and over and over again in the form of self-promotion ads. If a viewer watches NFL Network for two hours, there is a good chance that the viewer will see the same ad as many as eight times. And these ads rotate for many months. One spot promoting NFL Films’ series on America’s Game ran for well over a year, and it was the only ad for that program. Imagine if McDonald’s ran the same ad on one network, and the ad was run at least twice an hour all day. There is a pretty good chance that McDonald’s ad campaign would fail. Apparently that wasn’t the case with the America’s Game ad, which still runs even though it is show less often.
3. Repetitive Programming
NFL Films has access to footage from every game played since the 1960s, but much of the programming is highly repetitive. Similar to the way that ESPN runs SportsCenter several times in a row, NFL Network shows its version of SportsCenter– Total Access– repeatedly throughout the day.
4. Dull Personalities
The main host of NFL Network is Rich Eisen, who was once an anchor on SportsCenter. He is generally very good, but the quality falls off with regard to others on the channel. The network features several former players and coaches as commentators, including the likes Terrell Davis, Jamie Dukes, Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger, Steve Marucci, and Jim Mora. The quality ranges, but the commentary is often boring and commentators do not add as much insight as one might expect.
5. Thursday Night Broadcasts
The NFL granted the NFL Network rights to broadcast eight games each season, which has created quite a bit of controversy. The channel’s broadcast of the season finale between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants in 2007 caused a huge stir, because the Patriots were poised to become the first team in league history to finish a season 16-0. It took the intervention of Massachusetts senator John Kerry to get the league to negotiate with other networks to show the game. In the end, the game was broadcast on NFL Network, NBC, and CBS.
Those who do not have access to the network have had difficulty watching games of their favorite teams. Even for those who are able to watch the games, the broadcasts have left something to be desired. Bryant Gumbel served as the play-by-play announcer for the first two seasons, and he was just awful. He has since been replaced by Bob Papa, who is the radio announcer for the New York Giants.
The Good
For the viewer who can withstand the negatives, NFL Network can be enjoyable. Below are some of its strengths:
1. Eisen
Eisen is the lead host on the network, having been hired from ESPN in 2003. He is witty and personable, and he has grown into the role as the face of the network. He is on frequently enough that often subpar performances by other hosts, such as Fran Charles, are easily forgotten.
2. Adam Schefter
Schefter is the principal reporter for the network, and while some might put him in the “bad” category, he frequently breaks news stories from around the league. His columns often appear on NFL.com.
3. Bob Papa and Cris Collinsworth
The trouble that NFL Network had in its first two seasons of live game broadcasts was clearly the performance of Gumbel. Collinsworth seems to be everywhere these days (Inside the NFL, NBC, NFL Network), but he is especially good as a color commentator. Papa is not quite as good as Joe Buck or Al Michaels, but he is far superior to Gumbel, who frequently made mistakes.
4. NFL Replay
NFL Films, which owns the rights to all NFL footage, for years would seemingly discard the footage from original broadcasts and only show its own style of replays. In 2007, the company finally started showing full games from the previous week in a program entitled NFL Replay. This show allows viewers to watch the entire games from the previous week, which is great when a viewer was unable to watch a game from the previous weekend.
5. NFL.com Videos
Fans who visit NFL.com can watch additional video footage produced by NFL Network. This is very useful for those who do not have access to the channel, but it is also enjoyable free source for on-demand NFL videos.
Comparisons with Other Networks
For fans who are not familiar with NFL Network but who are familiar with other sports programming, here are some comparisons.
1. NFL GameDay vs. ESPN’s Primetime/NFL Blitz vs. NBC’s Football Night in America
NFL Network’s highlight show is called GameDay, and it features Eisen, Sanders, and Mariucci. Eisen is often funny though not as over-the-top as ESPN’s Chris Berman. Sanders can be obnoxious, but he is knowledgeable, and Mariucci provides solid commentary.
GameDay is on par with the old NFL Primetime, which featured Berman and Tom Jackson and which has now evolved into the SportsCenter segment known as NFL Blitz. The NFL Network’s show is largely superior to NBC’s Football Night in America, which features too many personalities (Bob Costas, Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, and a number of former players who serve as commentators). GameDay does not get the kinds of ratings as the other shows and does not have as many features, but the expanded highlights and accompanying commentary are just as good as what is found on ESPN.
2. Total Access vs. SportsCenter
NFL Network’s news program, Total Access, is obviously all about football, and it is generally less showy than ESPN’s SportsCenter. Total Access is especially good when Eisen hosts it, as substitute Fran Charles tends to be fairly bland.
3. NFL Films Programming on NFL Network vs. ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic focuses on sports history and often features original broadcasts of baseball and basketball games as well as boxing matches and other sporting events. One aspect of ESPN Classic that was missing were original broadcasts of football games, and this feature now appears on NFL Network. NFL Network president Bornstein was reportedly in negotiations during the summer of 2008 to merge NFL Network with ESPN Classic, but these talks have apparently failed.
Bottom Line
There are many ways that NFL Network could improve, and the network could start by working on its own arrogance. The website I Want My NFL Network encourages fans to stand behind the league in its fight with several cable companies. There is a good chance that more fans might do this if NFL Network would focus more attention on improving its programming and less attention on promoting itself. There is a good base on which to build, and the network may develop into as a staple that is on par with ESPN. As for right now, it still serves a niche market of die-hard football fans who cannot get enough of the NFL.
I am one of those fans.
