NFL returns to ABC with Wild Card game simulcast

[TMC1982]

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.tv/ZKTVL8uMENo

NFL Wild Card Playoff Game Will Return to ESPN - and Be Simulcast for the First Time on ABC

ESPN will again televise a National Football League Wild Card playoff game during the 2015 season.

The game, as well as ESPN's Monday Night Countdown pre-game show, will also be simulcast on ABC for the first time.

The NFL Wild Card Weekend is January 9-10, 2016.

Earlier this year, ESPN televised the first NFL playoff game in the company's 36-year history.

The Carolina Panthers' 27-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals averaged a 12.5 household US rating and 21,678,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen - the ninth most-viewed telecast in cable television history.

ESPN already produces Saturday night college football, NBA games and other sports events on ABC.

The decision to simulcast the Wild Card game was made in conjunction with the NFL to maximize the audience across the two networks. Home to Monday Night Football for 35 years (1970-2005), the Wild Card will be ABC's first NFL game in 10 years, since Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, 2006.

ESPN's Wild Card telecast will be available on tablets, computers, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via WatchESPN, which is accessible in more than 93 million households nationwide to fans who receive ESPN's networks as part of their video subscription.

ESPN Deportes, ESPN's 24-hour Spanish-language sports network, will also continue to offer a Spanish-language production of the NFL Wild Card game.

 

[Jimbo]

I'm sure as a Network this is Big news .... however, to the normal fan, this is Not.
To the fan, you do not care what channel your game is on, as long as you can get the broadcast.
Yes, there are nuances that some like better in each broadcast, but overall, just give me the game and a good announcing crew.

Better yet, give me the raw feed that use to be on C Band.

 

[TNGTony]

More and more people are dropping cable an satellite. I think the NFL sees this and they want to rein in the casual viewer who may not have ESPN. If I didn't have Dish and I only had the able service I have now, it would be a huge deal. Te lifeline tier I have does not include ESPN.

 

[Jimbo]

More and more people are dropping cable an satellite. I think the NFL sees this and they want to rein in the casual viewer who may not have ESPN. If I didn't have Dish and I only had the able service I have now, it would be a huge deal. Te lifeline tier I have does not include ESPN.

Can a "Cable Cutter" get any channels the NFL would be on ... legally ? (outside of Networks)

 

[TNGTony]

The point is that with this move, a cable cutter would be able to get all NFL games except the NFL Network's. And last year half of those were simulcast on CBS. And the "local" thursday games are generally carried by one local channel or another. Last year it was the NBC affiliate here in Cinti.

 

[Jimbo]

The point is that with this move, a cable cutter would be able to get all NFL games except the NFL Network's. And last year half of those were simulcast on CBS. And the "local" thursday games are generally carried by one local channel or another. Last year it was the NBC affiliate here in Cinti.

Unless I'm missing something, the NFL Network games were ONLY on local networks in the teams playing cities, not all otherwise the NFL Networks game would be diminshed.
So, the Cable Cutters would miss all the Thursday games in the NFL unless thhier team was playing.

 

[osu1991]

Unless I'm missing something, the NFL Network games were ONLY on local networks in the teams playing cities, not all otherwise the NFL Networks game would be diminshed.
So, the Cable Cutters would miss all the Thursday games in the NFL unless thhier team was playing.

Nope. The NFL sold the first half of the NFL Network season broadcast rights to CBS and they were simulcast on both CBS and NFL Network using CBS announce team. The same thing will again be done this coming season with the first half of the season being simulcast on both CBS and NFL Network.

 

[Jimbo]

Nope. The NFL sold the first half of the NFL Network season broadcast rights to CBS and they were simulcast on both CBS and NFL Network using CBS announce team. The same thing will again be done this coming season with the first half of the season being simulcast on both CBS and NFL Network.

So, we won't have to watch the game on NFLN .... doesn't that diminish thier NFLN package quite a bit ?
I'm surprised they did this.

 

[TNGTony]

Sales, Jimbo. Sales. It's the good ol' "free trial" sales technique. Get people used to one thing. Get them to see the value of it. Then remove the free part. This is why the deal is for the first half of the season, not the second half.