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My View: Calling for Interference
By Steven M. Bornstein -- The Indianapolis Star, 11/15/2007
The game arrived two centuries after the Mayflower landed on Plymouth Rock, but for NFL fans, watching football on Thanksgiving Day is almost as important as the turkey itself. This year, millions of NFL fans will grab a drumstick and sit down to watch the Colts square off against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. But unless you have satellite TV, or service from a video provider like AT&T or Verizon, you will be sorely disappointed. Cable companies -- Comcast, Time Warner and Charter -- are blocking our NFL games and bringing more famine than feast to this year's Thanksgiving celebrations.
Last year's Super Bowl win guarantees that folks far away from Hoosier country root for the blue and white. And Bobby Petrino's imprint on his team is starting to take shape as the Falcons look to defend their home turf against the Colts. But cable giants Comcast, Time Warner and Charter are keeping the NFL Network off their broad and affordable programming packages so most NFL fans will miss the game and all the coverage running up to it. If you live outside Indianapolis or Atlanta, as millions of NFL fans do, you can't see the game if you are a Time Warner or Charter subscriber. If you have Comcast, you will have to pay dearly for the privilege. No amount of sweet potato pie makes up for that.
We are in favor of letting the free market work. For the most part, we believe that government should keep its nose out of commercial disputes. But when cable companies can use their power to block fans from seeing their teams unless they pay extra, the market isn't working. Cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast know that die-hard football fans will pay more to see NFL football so they're holding you hostage in their negotiations with NFL Network. The losers in this dispute are the fans, and the only way to make your voice heard is to switch to a provider that offers NFL Network -- satellite services like DirecTV and Dish Network, or video offerings from Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-Verse.
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