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Eagles’ Thanksgiving Game Will be Available to Fans Outside Philadelphia
NFL Agrees to Allow Cable Companies to Carry Game After Specter Urges Commissioner to Recognize Regional Fan Base
Washington, D.C.
Sunday, November 23, 2008 -
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today announced that the NFL has agreed to let cable companies carry the Thanksgiving game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals. Originally, the Thursday game was only to be available to fans in the immediate Philadelphia area; now fans from central and eastern Pennsylvania will also have access.
The NFL made their decision known to the cable companies on Friday night.
Senator Specter advocated for this change in a series of letters to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In a letter dated Friday, November 21st, Senator Specter commended the Commissioner for his recent decision to the allow cable companies to carry the broadcast of Thursday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears so that fans outside of the immediate Pittsburgh area could watch the game: “This decision appears to represent a step toward a reasonable policy that will benefit the NFL and respect the bond between the teams and their regional fan bases.”
Senator Specter continued: “I urge the NFL to adopt a similar policy with respect to the Thanksgiving Day game between the Eagles and the Cardinals and for the other four remaining NFL Network games.”
In a letter dated October 28, 2008, Senator Specter, along with 12 other Senators, raised the issue with Commissioner Goodell by protesting the NFL Network’s exclusive coverage of football games which precludes many fans from watching their area or local football teams: “That the NFL would choose to have fewer viewers for select games again this year is an indication of its interest in moving toward a pay television model,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators noted that the NFL enjoys an antitrust exemption, conferred by Congress, and they are concerned that “the NFL is now leveraging the success of its over-the-air broadcasts to move games to pay television, to the detriment of NFL fans across the country.”
PDFs of the two letters to Commissioner Goodell are attached.
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