While a law judge is preparing to adjudicate the argument between Comcast and the NFL over carriage of the NFL Network, Dish Network said it’s dropped all litigation with pro football following the settlement of a multiyear agreement for continued carriage of NFL Network in Dish Network’s Classic Silver 200 package.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, Dish said.
Last month, DirecTV signed an extension of its contract with the NFL, allowing it to continue offering its “Sunday Ticket” package of NFL games through 2014.
That means both major DBS companies in the U.S. have cut deals to charge their subscribers extra for access to NFL games.
The right of the cable industry to negotiate similar deals with the football league is at the heart of Comcast’s dispute with the NFL. It remains to be seen what effect, if any, the deals cut by the DBS companies will have on the thinking of the administrative law judge assigned to sort out that dispute. That process is set to begin tomorrow.
