Alienate the LA Football Fans

If I live in L.A. the thought of watching football at this time is not high on my radar. L.A. is the number one or number two television market in the country and they don’t have a professional team. How much would companies pay to marketing their brand or products to viewers? The NFL, the team and the cable stations could make millions, but they are still fighting.

Last week the LA Times reported the following:

"The cable television giant and NFL Network are in the midst of a bitter dispute, and the Los Angeles City Council is on NFL Network's side, as evidenced by a resolution passed Friday

But even with City Hall on its side, NFL Network faces a difficult battle that could keep it out of 2 million cable homes in the Greater L.A. market, and 600,000 homes within the L.A. city limits.

For three years, Time Warner Cable has refused to carry the league-owned network, which launched in November 2003.

And when Time Warner Cable recently replaced Adelphia and Comcast cable in the L.A. market, it took NFL Network away from those customers who were getting it.

The Federal Communications Commission ordered Time Warner Cable to put NFL Network back into those homes for 30 days, since it was taken off without warning."

Time Warner and the NFL are continuing to fight how much it should cost consumers to pay for the channel. In the end, no one will win in this battle.