Thursday, December 27, 2007

Pats-Giants Game to be Simulcast on NBC, CBS

The Saturday night game in which the New England Patriots will be trying to set an NFL record by finishing the regular season with an undefeated record will be simulcast on CBS and NBC, the NFL has just announced.

Originally the 8:15 p.m. game against the Giants in East Rutherford, N.J., was scheduled to be carried only on the NFL Network. Because of a dispute with Time Warner and Comcast, that network is available in fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes that have televisions.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a written statement. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and is the first simulcast of any kind for the NFL since Super Bowl I (between the AFL and NFL) on CBS and NBC on Jan. 15, 1967.

The Patriots-Giants simulcast will be the NFL Network's feed, featuring broadcasters Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth.

Of course, the game isn't exactly interrupting Must-See TV; the Saturday night lineup is traditionally one of the weakest for over-the-air networks. Here's what was scheduled for CBS and NBC on Saturday:
NBC -- "Dateline NBC" and "Law & Order: SVU"
CBS -- "Good Night and Good Luck" (the 2005 George Clooney movie) and "48 Hours Mystery."

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