• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, October 20, 2010

The World Series will receive added competition from the NFL this year. NBC's "Sunday Night Football" has traditionally taken a break during the first Sunday of the fall classic. But NBC and the NFL are going head to head Oct. 31.

Fox could be a big loser if viewers migrate to Pittsburgh-New Orleans on NBC that night instead of game four of the baseball championship games.

NBC's new NFL deal gives it one more Sunday game; it will air for 17 straight weeks. In the past, the network has used its off-week to air repeats of "Heroes," movies, "Dateline" and a repeat of "The Office."

In an interview with the NFL Network after this season's schedule was announced, commissioner Roger Goodell said it was appropriate to "allow the consumer to be able to choose whether they want to watch "Sunday Night Football" or the World Series."

While more conventional, Fox could also face a challenge from football this Sunday, if the National League Championship Series goes to game seven. NBC has Minnesota's Brett Favre returning to Green Bay.

NFL games have gone against the World Series before, although mostly with football on cable. Since 1991, nine regular-season NFL games have challenged the World Series. But only once -- in 1996 -- did the two face each other on broadcast TV.