Google Fiber, the TV-Internet service in Kansas City, doesn’t have a deal to carry ESPN yet, but has landed agreements with multiple other sports
networks. The NFL Network joins channels affiliated with Major League Baseball and the NHL plus the NBC Sports Network on the system.
The NFL Network deal gives Google at least one channel
not carried by Time Warner Cable, a competitor in the market. TWC is the last large operator not to cut a carriage deal with the NFL.
The agreement also allows Google to carry the NFL
RedZone channel, which it will make available a la carte for an added fee. The network whirls around to different games on Sundays when scores may be imminent.
There are multiple pricing
permutations for Google Fiber, but in order to receive TV service, it costs a minimum of $120 a month. The Internet service is faster than TWC, but even without ESPN, the Google price that includes TV
service is significantly higher than at least one triple-play offer TWC has.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday at a Bloomberg event that a market rate has been set for the
NFL Network and the league will hold to it while negotiating with TWC.
The NFL Network is expanding its amount of live games this year to 13.
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