CBS, NBC to simulcast Patriots' attempt at 16-0

Turns out the entire country will be able to see the New England Patriots' attempt to go 16-0 from the comfort of their homes Saturday night.

By Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune

Last update: December 26, 2007 - 4:03 PM

Turns out the entire country will be able to see the New England Patriots' attempt to go 16-0 from the comfort of their homes Saturday night.

The NFL announced Wednesday in a press release that it has reached an agreement with television partners CBS and NBC for a three-way national simulcast of the NFL Network telecast of the Patrots-Giants game.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," NFL 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."

That might be true, but it appears the NFL definitly has blinked in its battle with cable companies. The NFL Network, which is currently in 43 million homes, doesn't have deals several major operators, including Time Warner, Charter Communications and Mediacom. The latter two serve large portions of Minnesota.

Comcast carries the NFL Network on a digital sports tier but it costs at an additional $5.99 a month.

According to the NFL, this will be the first three-network simulcast in league history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since Super Bowl I 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.

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