Pats-Giants to be first three-network simulcast game in NFL history

[MapleLeaf]

From ESPN.com

NEW YORK -- The New England Patriots' shot at history Saturday night will be available for every household in the country with a television after months of wrangling.

The game against the New York Giants, in which the Patriots could become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in the regular season, was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes with TVs.

The league announced Wednesday that the NFL Network feed will be simulcast on NBC and CBS. It's a major concession by league officials, who repeatedly said they would not show the game anywhere but the NFL Network. The NFL had faced mounting pressure from lawmakers in recent weeks to make the game available to more viewers.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas who were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it.

The NFL has feuded with major cable companies, who have declined to carry the network as part of basic packages.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

 

[playmaker7]

Everyone deserves a chance to see the Pats go 16-0. I predict a huge celebration afterwards

 

[dez]

Im glad they're goning to broadcast the game, now I dont have to go over a my friends house to watch it.

But Ill witness one of two things happen.

1. The Patriots will go undefeated in a regular season for the first time since '72

OR

2. The Giants will end their winning streak and all Pat fans will envy us.


Im hoping #2 happens.....

 

[kdogg]

I have NFL Network for free, so I would have got to see the game anyway

 

[The Guid]

Im glad they're goning to broadcast the game, now I dont have to go over a my friends house to watch it.

But Ill witness one of two things happen.

1. The Patriots will go undefeated in a regular season for the first time since '72

OR

2. The Giants will end their winning streak and all Pat fans will envy us.
Im hoping #2 happens.....

Trust me, win or no win, I'll never envy the Giants...

 

[bulls12]

I'm not much of a Giants fan, but I will be the biggest on Saturday.

 

[dez]

Trust me, win or no win, I'll never envy the Giants...

thats just one out of many.....

 

[.GR]

Go Giants!!!!

 

[Giantmetfan07]

The is.... the greatest day........ of my life.

 

[A.E]

Think of all the times we Patriot-haters have rooted against them all season, hasn't worked yet. I am content in knowing that regardless of this games' outcomes, the Patriots will win the Super Bowl.

If anything, I am hoping the Patriots go 19-0 b/c I am sick of hearing about the '72 Dolphins every single year. It's about time to shut Mercury Morris up for good. If it wasn't for his big mouth & that damn undefeated season...ESPN wouldn't be chasing him down on the golf course.

Document it: Wes Welker pwns this game.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Still amazes me how they try to pull of that "We dont think about it" crap.

 

[The Guid]

Think of all the times we Patriot-haters have rooted against them all season, hasn't worked yet. I am content in knowing that regardless of this games' outcomes, the Patriots will win the Super Bowl.

If anything, I am hoping the Patriots go 19-0 b/c I am sick of hearing about the '72 Dolphins every single year. It's about time to shut Mercury Morris up for good. If it wasn't for his big mouth & that damn undefeated season...ESPN wouldn't be chasing him down on the golf course.

Document it: Wes Welker pwns this game.

Wes Wlker pwns every game, he is so good. Stupid Miami...

Anyway, now I know how you Yankee fans feel.

 

[kdogg]

Think of all the times we Patriot-haters have rooted against them all season, hasn't worked yet. I am content in knowing that regardless of this games' outcomes, the Patriots will win the Super Bowl.

If anything, I am hoping the Patriots go 19-0 b/c I am sick of hearing about the '72 Dolphins every single year. It's about time to shut Mercury Morris up for good. If it wasn't for his big mouth & that damn undefeated season...ESPN wouldn't be chasing him down on the golf course.

Document it: Wes Welker pwns this game.

Yea, I'm sick of hearing Mercury's mouth (and raps), but I still want the Patriots to lose this game lol.

 

[A.E]

Glad to see that the NFL is giving us all the chance to see this game. Roger Goodell made a very, very wise choice in the best interest of the fans.

As a Cable subscriber, I have been very curious to see an NFL Network broadcast with Greg Gumbell and Cris Collinsworth in the booth.

 

[RipCity32]

Nice to see this game will be on TV like this, but I'm praying for the upset. I don't want to see the Pats go un-defeated.

 

[dez]

They showed last weeks NFL network game (Panthers vs. Cowboys) on regular cable down here in Charotte, I thought they did it for all cities w/ teams....

 

[A.E]

They showed last weeks NFL network game (Panthers vs. Cowboys) on regular cable down here in Charotte, I thought they did it for all cities w/ teams....

That certainly didn't happen in upstate NY. What's the local cable provider where you live dez? I am guessing it was aired courtesy of a local Carolina stations, being that it was your local team playing in it. I assume CBS Rochester would have done the same if the Bills were playing.

 

[dez]

That certainly didn't happen in upstate NY. What's the local cable provider where you live dez? I am guessing it was aired courtesy of a local Carolina stations, being that it was your local team playing in it. I assume CBS Rochester would have done the same if the Bills were playing.

Time Warner cable. But the game looked like one of those public access shows....

 

[A.E]

Time Warner cable. But the game looked like one of those public access shows....

Yeah, pretty much the same quality of broadcast that we get with all the Bills' pre-season games. God why the hell did I have to be born & raised right in the middle of Bills' country?

 

[A.E]

This NFL Network broadcast is pretty lame. The tandem of Gumbell and Collinsworth is about as lame as Pat Summerall and Madden were.

Give me freaking Jim Nance and Phil Simms.