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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Nov. 6 Denver Broncos game against the Cleveland Browns will be available in Grand Junction, but not on the local CBS affiliate, KREX, or ESPN.
Instead, the game will be televised through the NFL Network, and that has U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard concerned. The NFL Network is unavailable over the air and is available only through paid television.
In Denver, the game will be aired on KWGN.
Salazar’s press secretary Matt Lee-Ashley said Salazar is concerned the NFL is moving toward paid television for football games.
Salazar, a Democrat, and Allard, a Republican, signed a letter with 11 colleagues who represent constituencies like Grand Junction, which occasionally has difficulty accessing televised games of their favorite NFL teams.
The Nov. 6 game will be broadcast here only through the NFL Network because Grand Junction and other areas, like Durango, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, are in areas not considered to be part of the “home market” of a team. Only Denver is considered to be the home market of the Broncos, even though Broncos fans enjoy watching the game in other areas of Colorado and Wyoming.
“We in Colorado love to watch our Broncos, and we should continue to be able to see the games on television throughout the state,” Salazar said. “The NFL’s narrow interpretation of a ‘home market’ does a disservice to fans across Colorado and across the country.
“The NFL needs to change course, and it should start by allowing all Coloradans to watch the Broncos pound the Browns next Thursday.”
The NFL Network is available for purchase through Bresnan Communications, said Regional Vice President Sean Hogue. The NFL Network is available by ordering the sports tier, a charge of $18 a month, plus $2.95 for that channel, Hogue said.
“There seems to be, on the NFL’s part, a desire to move more viewers into the pay model” of a subscription, said Lee-Ashley.
“The judiciary committee is looking into this as well,” Lee-Ashley said.
In their letter, the 13 U.S. senators reminded the NFL that Congress gave the NFL an anti-trust exemption so larger audiences could enjoy football without infringing the NFL’s copyright.
“We 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,” the letter said.
The other Broncos games, those played on Nov. 2, 16, 23, 30 and Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28, will be broadcast on Grand Junction’s CBS affiliate, KREX, said General Manager Ron Tillery.
“We would love it if every fan got to see every game,” said Jim Saccomano, vice president of public relations for the Denver Broncos. “It’s an NFL rule, not a Bronco rule.”
The NFL mandates a network broadcast the games live in the two cities, Saccomano said.
Twice so far this season — both Monday night games, on Sept. 8 and Oct. 20 — Broncos fans had to search out their favorite team on cable, when the games were broadcast over the sports network ESPN.
Reach Marija B. Vader at mvader@gjfreepress.com.
Instead, the game will be televised through the NFL Network, and that has U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard concerned. The NFL Network is unavailable over the air and is available only through paid television.
In Denver, the game will be aired on KWGN.
Salazar’s press secretary Matt Lee-Ashley said Salazar is concerned the NFL is moving toward paid television for football games.
Salazar, a Democrat, and Allard, a Republican, signed a letter with 11 colleagues who represent constituencies like Grand Junction, which occasionally has difficulty accessing televised games of their favorite NFL teams.
The Nov. 6 game will be broadcast here only through the NFL Network because Grand Junction and other areas, like Durango, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, are in areas not considered to be part of the “home market” of a team. Only Denver is considered to be the home market of the Broncos, even though Broncos fans enjoy watching the game in other areas of Colorado and Wyoming.
“We in Colorado love to watch our Broncos, and we should continue to be able to see the games on television throughout the state,” Salazar said. “The NFL’s narrow interpretation of a ‘home market’ does a disservice to fans across Colorado and across the country.
“The NFL needs to change course, and it should start by allowing all Coloradans to watch the Broncos pound the Browns next Thursday.”
The NFL Network is available for purchase through Bresnan Communications, said Regional Vice President Sean Hogue. The NFL Network is available by ordering the sports tier, a charge of $18 a month, plus $2.95 for that channel, Hogue said.
“There seems to be, on the NFL’s part, a desire to move more viewers into the pay model” of a subscription, said Lee-Ashley.
“The judiciary committee is looking into this as well,” Lee-Ashley said.
In their letter, the 13 U.S. senators reminded the NFL that Congress gave the NFL an anti-trust exemption so larger audiences could enjoy football without infringing the NFL’s copyright.
“We 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,” the letter said.
The other Broncos games, those played on Nov. 2, 16, 23, 30 and Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28, will be broadcast on Grand Junction’s CBS affiliate, KREX, said General Manager Ron Tillery.
“We would love it if every fan got to see every game,” said Jim Saccomano, vice president of public relations for the Denver Broncos. “It’s an NFL rule, not a Bronco rule.”
The NFL mandates a network broadcast the games live in the two cities, Saccomano said.
Twice so far this season — both Monday night games, on Sept. 8 and Oct. 20 — Broncos fans had to search out their favorite team on cable, when the games were broadcast over the sports network ESPN.
Reach Marija B. Vader at mvader@gjfreepress.com.
