NFL on FOX
While NFL fans continue to clamor for new ways to watch games, FOX Sports president Ed Goren wants to put the brakes on the league’s expansion into new media.
Goren feels that streaming games on platforms such as the Internet and cell phones will ultimately hurt the financial success of the league’s television broadcasts.
“At some point, they’re going to kill the golden goose,” said Goren, per David Goetzi of MediaDailyNews.
His argument is quite clear and perhaps valid, but times (and broadcast avenues) always and must change.
FOX saw its football audience grow exponentially last fall. However, as more options become available the viewership gains may soon turn into losses.
“Our ratings will go down, our ad sales will go down and the leagues can find another sucker,” Goren said.
Goren’s solution? For FOX to take a piece of the Internet pie.
When the NFL and the TV network come back to the table to negotiate their next deal you can bet that FOX will take a hard look at streaming their games much like NBC currently does.
Their current deal prevents them from doing so.
Why?
“We’re not real great business people,” Goren said.