Tennis Channel feels like it has already won its battle against Comcast, but it still must wait and see whether a federal appeals court grants the cable giant a stay after the Federal Communications Commission ordered Comcast to place Tennis Channel on the same cable systems that carry two sports channels that it owns – NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel.
However, observers are very confident that the cable company will comply with the FCC ruling and put Tennis Channel into an additional 18-20 million homes by September 6, which is the end of the 45-day period in which the FCC gave Comcast to put Tennis Channel into the additional households.
That means that million more tennis fans will be able to see Tennis Channel’s coverage during the US Open, which runs August 27 -September 10.
Comcast has sued the FCC and asked the appeals court to throw out the FCC ruling, but that process could take years and observers feel that because Comcast has other important matters currently sitting in front of the FCC, that it won’t risk offending the commission but completely ignoring its ruling. Rather, the thought is that Comcast will comply and wait until the appeals court makes a final decision before it potentially attempts to put Tennis Channel on another higher tier than that of NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel. That process could take years.
The ruling would be a financial boon for Tennis Channel. On average, it is paid 15 cents per subscriber and if it was placed in additional 20 million homes that would come out to an additional $3 million per year.
Plus, it would then crack the 50 million homes mark, which would allow it go after bigger advertisers. Tennis Channel is currently available in about 34 million homes nationwide.
©Daily Tennis News Wire
Topics: 10sballs.com, Comcast tennis news, Federal Communications Commission, Tennis Channel, Tennis News