Lawmakers Press NFL for Broader Game Access

Just when you thought that all politicians’ eyes were fixed on the restoring the country’s battered economic situation and preparing for next week’s presidential election, comes word that lawmakers are pressing the National Football League to make a series of games carried by NFL Network more widely available on basic cable television.

The NFL has claimed that it provides sufficient access to games on its NFL Network in home cities. But more than a dozen lawmakers see things differently, and have sent the commissioner a letter seeking fast action so fans in every market receive free TV access to games played by the closest team or the one to which it has been historically aligned.

The NFL Network will feature eight games this season. And the league is still in a dispute with some large cablecos who have made the programming part of a pay-extra sports package or tier. The NFL wants the operators to provide the games as part of a basic package, as other carriers have chosen to do.

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