Thursday Night Games being sold to another network

[MikeO]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-selling-thursday-night-games-talking-television-networks-fox-sports-1-nfl-network-011314

As I told you months ago the Thursday night package is getting a face-life and changing cause it wasn't at the level of success the NFL wants.  The NFL is taking some of the Thursday games off NFL Network and selling them off to another network.

[Spider-Dan]

I don't see it that way.  As the article said, it was the most watched program on cable every day it was on, which is a not-insignificant feat given that NFLN is a premium cable channel.

I think that NFLN needed a draw to force people to subscribe, which then forced the providers to make NFLN available on lower-tier premium packages.  Now that a) they've essentially got the saturation they wanted and b) Red Zone exists, the NFL no longer has to subsidize NFLN with a package of Thursday night games that are worth billions.  Red Zone is more than adequate as a hook and will ultimately be a major revenue driver for the NFL.

[masterfins]

I hate the Thursday night games.  It's okay to have a couple late in the season like they used to do, but this every Thursday night game sucks.  It really dilutes the utils of satisfaction I get from the NFL.  But, hey as long as the billionaires can put a few extra bucks in their pockets its great.

[Phishfan]

it was the most watched program on cable every day it was on, which is a not-insignificant feat given that NFLN is a premium cable channel.

Not insignificant but not really that significant considering cable offerings on Thursday nights.

[Spider-Dan]

Any buyer is surely aware of which day of the week the games are broadcast.

Thursday cable programming is not Sunday evening network programming, that's for sure.  But that being said, if you're a cable company in the market to acquire Thursday night content, there's nothing better than the NFL.

Furthermore, in the specific case of NBCSN and FS1, the NFL is potentially their ticket to relevance.  It was proven to work for NFLN, after all.

[MikeO]

NFL announced they will sell Thursday  games and still air them on NFL Network

[Landshark]

This is something that needs to either go away completely or haired only after the college season is over

[Sunstroke]

I guess I am in the minority on this issue, because I really enjoy the Thursday night games, and am extremely glad to hear that they will be continuing.

[Dave Gray]

I'm with you, Stroke.  I like the Thursday games.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ I just enjoy watching good live football, whether it is NFL or a good match-up between top college teams (or even non-top college teams that have viable NFL prospects). The more time slots that can be filled with that, the better. I record all my other non-sports shows anyway, so I can watch those when there isn't good football on.

[Phishfan]

^^^Many people don't consider those Thursday games as good though. The matchups have not been the greatest and they say the short weeks have cut prep time which made for sloppier football. I don't really analyze it because I'm usually only tracking the score and replays of plays since I'm playing pool that night.

[Thundergod]

I hate the Thursday night games.  It's okay to have a couple late in the season like they used to do, but this every Thursday night game sucks.  It really dilutes the utils of satisfaction I get from the NFL.  But, hey as long as the billionaires can put a few extra bucks in their pockets its great.

Words taken right out of my mouth.

I have never not watched so many games than those on Thursday.

[Dave Gray]

^ These are games you wouldn't watch anyway, though.

You really have 6 opportunities to watch games where I am.

Thursday Night
Sunday 1PM
Sunday 4 PM
Whatever doubleheader they give me.
Sunday Night
Monday Night

There are 13-16 games per week and only 6 times for them to be played.

[Sunstroke]

If it's NFL, it's worth watching to me, even if it is 2-12 Cleveland vs 3-11 Jacksonville or another unsavory match-up.

Come on, if I can spend hours watching guys in spandex who will "probably" end up in the NFL run and jump through hoops at the scouting combine, then I'll watch any regular season NFL game on general principle.

It's the National Football League, the highest level of the greatest game on Earth. If it's being broadcast, it's getting watched.

[mecadonzilla]

I initially liked the idea of having a game every Thursday night, but I've cooled on it in the last year or so.  The games normally don't feature decent match ups and games are usually played fairly sloppily (lots of penalties, lots of turnovers, lots of mental mistakes, etc.)

I went from dutifully watching every Thursday night game when it first started to pretty much just checking scores and fantasy stats by the end of this season.  The games aren't normally very exciting.