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NFL throws Channel 5 a bone
By adamg on Sat, 12/29/2007 - 9:57am
Exclusive pre- and post-game field access, plus some playoff tickets, to make up for the station's loss of what it had thought was exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots game.
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Comments
Now that's chutzpah
From the press release: "NFL Network would like to express its appreciation
to WCVB and WMUR for agreeing to relinquish its local exclusivity"
Like WCVB and WMUR had any choice in the matter?
WCVB and WMUR (along with
WCVB and WMUR (along with local NY stations) had bid to carry the game locally meaning there was a contract for the carriage rights. I guess the issue would have been if the contract was for exclusive local rights. If it was and WCVB had refused to relinquish the local right then they could have probably blocked competing broadcasts, at least locally.
I'm sure with whatever deal they worked out with the NFL was was worth it, but I'm guessing they were compensated for lost advertising revenue. One article stated that spots on WCVB were going for as much as $80K before the simulcast announcement.