NFL Network

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The NFL Network is an American specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League (NFL). It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after all of the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation. The league invested $100 million to fund the network's operations.

NFL Films, which produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the NFL, is a key supplier of the NFL Network's programming, with more than 4,000 hours of footage archived in their library. Thus, much of the network's highlights and recaps feature NFL Films' trademark style of slow motion game action, and sounds of the game and the talk on the sidelines.

Beginning with the 2006 season, the channel will to broadcast eight prime time, regular season NFL games. In addition, the network will provide additional coverage of the 2006 NFL Draft from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 29 and 30 in conjunction with ESPN and ESPN2.

Contents

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Senior executives

  • Steve Bornstein, President and CEO; also, the NFL's Executive-VP of Media (Bornstein is the former Chairman of ESPN, and also served as president of ABC)
  • Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films (Sabol is the most honored filmmaker in sports, having garnered 87 Emmy Awards)
  • Howard Katz, Chief Operating Officer of NFL Films (Veteran TV sports executive; former president of ABC Sports; former ESPN Senior-VP)
  • Judy Fearing, Senior-VP of Consumer Marketing (Former ESPN and Pepsi marketing executive)
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2006 NFL Schedule

The NFL Network starts broadcasting games during the 2006 season. All the games start at 8:00 PM EST. The eight games will be dubbed The Run to the Playoffs. It has been reported that veteran TV announcer Bryant Gumbel will be the play-by-play announcer and former FOX and current NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth will be the color commentator, but the NFL Network will not make a formal announcement until after April 26. [1].

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Original programming

  • NFL Total Access
A news and information show covering all 32 NFL teams. Former ESPN sportscaster Rich Eisen anchors the show. He is joined by former running back and Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player Terrell Davis, former running back and NFL career-rushing-yards leader Emmitt Smith, former 11-time Pro Bowl cornerback Rod Woodson, and former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy
The show has the unique ability to go live to any NFL team headquarters at any time via their "Team Cam" system – a webcam-based video system that has been set up between the network's Los Angeles studio and each team location.
  • In Their Own Words
A documentary series that deals with coaches, players, and other aspects of the league. The series does not feature a host or narration. Instead, the subject tells his story "in his own words" via interviews, archival action footage, and sound that is captured on the field, on the sidelines, or in the locker room.
  • Game of the Week
A 60-minute show that uses NFL Films footage to review a particular current or classic NFL game, including every significant play from quarter-to-quarter.
  • Coachspeak
This news show is basically a live whip-around show featuring the Monday press conferences of the league's head coaches around the NFL. The show is hosted by Derrin Horton with former NFL head coach Jim E. Mora.
  • Coachspeak Plus
Similar to Coachspeak except that it focuses on the mid-week press conferences from the league's players and coaches. Derrin Horton and Jim E. Mora also serve as hosts.
  • NFL Replay
A series that re-broadcasts two-hour versions of a network television's coverage of a memorable NFL games—complete with the original network's footage, graphics, and play-by-play commentary.
  • Playbook
Hosted by Paul Burmeister with analysts Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger, Butch Davis, and Solomon Wilcots, this show provides analysis of the key match-ups of the upcoming games. The show features the use of team-supplied footage — the same video that coaches and players use each week to prepare their game plans.
  • NFL Films Presents
A documentary series hosted by Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films. The show features interviews with former and current NFL stars, visual essays, historical features, and coverage on the game's current trends and nuances.
  • College Football Sunday
This 60-minute show features highlights and in-depth analysis of the top 25 games of college football and each game's pro prospects.
  • Red Zone
Airing every Sunday during the regular season, Red Zone is basically a news ticker that shows up-to-the-minute stats, scores, and detailed fantasy football updates on the regular season games that are simultaneously being televised live on CBS, FOX, and NBC. The show's audio features simulcasts of each game's radio broadcast from Sirius Satellite Radio, including whip-arounds of each game. The show also features the many post-game conferences that are held by each league's head coach after their games.
  • Point After:
This highlight show recaps all of the league's games and post-game press conferences.
  • Sounds of the Game
This highlight show recaps the best press conference moments of the past week, along with game footage and sound to illustrate each coaches' and players' comments. The show also features NFL Films footage of recently completed games. It is hosted by Paul Burmeister.
  • Live Games
A total of 76 NFL preseason and NFL Europe games air on the NFL Network from April through August. Most of the pre-season games air on a tape-delayed basis, using the home team's local broadcast for the first half and the visitors' broadcast for the second half.
Starting in the 2006 NFL Season, NFL Network will show 8 Thursday and Saturday prime time, regular season games. These games would have been shown as Saturday games on CBS or FOX. This is the first time NFL Network will be showing live NFL games. [2] [3] The first broadcast will be on Thanksgiving night at 8 PM ET, as the Denver Broncos visit the Kansas City Chiefs. The Thanksgiving night game will change the NFL schedule from a traditional two games to a tripleheader. [4]


  • Football America
This documentary series features stories from all levels of football in the United States from Pop Warner to the professional level. Some of the stories it has featured include high school huddles, the sidelines of women's flag football championship games, and the semi-pro football game between the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department.
  • Film Session
This program showcases NFL Films' classic, modern, and historical specials and documentaries that are in its archive. Programs include Team Huddles, Lost Treasures, NFL's Greatest, and Football Follies.
  • 6 Days To Sunday
This 30-minute documentary series profiles the life of an NFL coach or player as they get ready for an upcoming game. The show documents the subject's activities and preparations, including his team practices, exercises in the weight room, and studying game film.
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Service

The channel is an ad-supported cable and satellite television network offering a linear standard-definition channel; a high-definition simulcast feed; and video-on-demand product including extended game highlights and Emmy-Award winning programs from the NFL Films library.

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Reach

  • The channel is currently available to more than 50 million homes in the U.S. It is also available on selected service providers in Canada.

Current outlets include:

  • Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider (reaching 21.5 million homes), offers the channel on its digital platform.
  • DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite service provider, offers the network to all 14 million of its customers on Channel 212.
  • Adelphia, the nation's fifth-largest cable company, offers the channel on its digital platform. In some regions, including Buffalo, New York, it is offerend on the analog platform.
  • Insight Communications, the nation's ninth-largest cable company, offers the channel on its digital platform.
  • Dish Network, started to carry this network on channel 154 in September of 2005.
  • More than 50 smaller cable companies also offer the service, primarily on a digital basic or expanded basic level.

Former outlets:

  • Charter Communications offered the channel as part of its Digital Sports tier, but the NFL pulled the signal on December 19, 2005 because "the [Digital Sports] tier doesn't enjoy deep penetration" [5]
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See also

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External links

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