How many Sky subcriptions do you imagine are tied to them having all the London games (on a non exclusive basis)? I'm going to guess less than 1.

The point still remains why would Sky give them up? How would it benefit them? Don't you think it would be problematic for the NFL if C4 showed a Wembley game at 6pm and Sky showed another one clashing with it?

On another point does anyone know why Nat wasn't on the C4 show last night?

It would make more sense for the viewers, because to have the exact same programme on two different channels is just inane. If C4 had the London game, Sky had another game, and the Red Zone, that would be the best scenario for the viewers.

It would also make more sense for both Sky and Channel 4 to stop taking viewers from one another, which they do under the current arrangement. As others have pointed out, C4 get fewer viewers for the Wembley game than usually they do for whatever else they normally show in that time slot. So, if they alternated the Wembley games, they'd each get one or two to cover every year.


If professional style was a concern for Sky's NFL coverage then Kevin Cadle wouldn't have lasted more than ten minutes in the job.

It always feels a bit like NFLuk has an influence on the NFL programming at Sky. Nick Halling seemed to have a fall out with both Sky and NFLuk at the same time around the infamous Red Zone debacle. He was never the polished PR man the Neil is and Mike is probably a bit too much of a maverick as well to be centre stage of the Sky coverage. He has said countless times he doesn't want an NFL franchise but a range of games at Wembley and that is very much against company line which Neil walks so well (not surprised he also entirely backs up Roger Goodell's suspension of Peterson).

Just like the Sky playoff coverage is ruined by Wembley ticket promotions, it's essentially an infomercial for NFL Wembley games with a bit of playoff coverage thrown in for bonus. I can't think of another sport on Sky that is promoted and tickets advertised as heavily during it's coverage as the NFL on Sky is.

Nick got offered a boxing commentator contract position with Sky as their number one and took it. It wasn't a falling out he just transitioned to another sport.

I imagine Sky are forced to show the Wembley game to give the game as big a tv rating as possible.

I find Sky's coverage fairly uninspiring to be honest

It was a weird transition though. He was never mentioned after he left, no explanation was given on air. Given he was just moving to another sport on Sky you would have thought they would have talked about it but there was nothing so it seemed like there might have been a bit of ill feeling.

I agree. He stopped his column abruptly for NFLuk as well. He's on Twitter but doesn't follow a single NFL related person or any NFL media. I'm sure I've seen a conversation with him where someone asks if he still watches it and he says he does from time to time. Doesn't quite fit with how much of a massive Steelers fan he was.

He was the first Brit to ever commentate on an NFL game for US network TV. He was involved in the UK NFL scene from the mid eighties (broadcasting and print media/First Down magazine etc) all the way through until those fateful last weeks of the 2010 season, (Sunday 13th December 2010 is a day forever etched onto British NFL broadcasting history...). I'm sure there's more to it.

I always got the impression they (some combination of the NFL, NFL UK and Sky) were looking for someone who was a little more rah-rah about the sport, a bill Neil Reynolds fits admirably. Nick always seemed a little grumpy, especially if the Steelers were losing. Maybe he just left to pursue another opportunity, but it did seem a bit odd, he's never been invited back to guest present despite numerous weeks they have needed a fill-in, and it's not as though there are that many boxing gigs to make that the reason he left in the first place.

why? what happened?

Regarding the showing of another game at the same time as Wembley, it seems consistent with what happens in the US where if there is a game been played locally then there is not another game shown at the same time. For example if the Cowboys are at home on FOX in the early slot then CBS in Dallas/Fort Worth has to show a later game. The only difference here is that it gets shown on 2 channels.

Week 13 commentary lineup

Thanksgiving on Thursday, so seven live games this week.

17:30 Thursday - Bears @ Lions - CBS - Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson.
21:30 Thursday - Eagles @ Cowboys - FOX - Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews.
01:30 Friday - Seahawks @ 49ers - NBC - Al Micheals, Chris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya.
18:00 Sunday - Saints @ Steelers -FOX - Thom Brennaman, Donovan McNabb, Charissa Thompson.
21:25 Sunday - Patriots @ Packers - CBS - Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson.
01:30 Monday - Broncos @ Chiefs -NBC - Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya.
01:30 Tuesday - Dolphins @ Jets - ESPN - Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters.

Surely the best thing from a fans perspective is that the Wembley game is mainly in the 130pm slot? Not only does that maximise exposure but also allows fans to watch another game later on?

That was the night they decided to just have RedZone instead of a full game and the reaction was very negative.

Halling was a weirdo though. He was far too sensitive to criticism and would often show this on screen or via the NFLUK forum where he had an account. In stark contrast to Reynolds, who takes things in good humour and accepts that not everyone will enjoy his style.

Halling's departure was equally bizarre. A random NFLUK forum member that was later to be revealed as Mrs Halling started a thread asking who should replace Halling, despite there at the time being no indication he was leaving. After pages of debate/argument between this seemingly random individual and regular members, Halling suddenly popped up with a solitary post telling everyone they owed this random member an apology because she was in fact right, he was leaving.

The guy is an absolute moron and seemingly very, very insecure. His wife also seems a bit of a nutjob, her previous relationship was with a guy on death row and their wedding website is very weird.

Which leads to another point raised above, the wedding had a Steelers theme (tables named after famous Steelers) so bizarre once again that Halling has no NFL connections on his twitter, although I am sure it is not entirely necessary to follow anyone on Twitter and still be able to follow a sport.

Can't comment on him being insecure but I didn't believe the things about his wife and quite frankly how weird they seem to be. Boy was I wrong .........

http://nick-and-karen.gettingmarried.co.uk/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/se...2-years-695454

Very strange .....

Back to the current studio team. What exactly is the purpose of Cecil Martin? On the NFLUK forums he seems to have a cult following, but I find him to be a complete twonk. He never actually gives any compelling answers to questions posed, just flowery, non committal answers that add nothing to the presentation at all.

redzone not working on my tivo box
is it just me?

Edit: its everyone,not just VM they said theres a problem..

I can't get it on Tivo or V+. Just this second Neil Reynolds mentioned they're having a problem.



Edit:
It's working. (For now).

thanks

I've been watching it perfectly fine through Sky since 6.01pm.

Don't get why SKY have presenter & 2 pundit's in the studio as, Channel 4 just have presenter & pundit which works well, TNF SKY just have the US TV Broadcast no going back to the studio during breaks. Big irritant with SKY coverage the pointless Fantasy Football table they show for the SKY team, which is no reference to the game being shown or the viewer public taking part.

The studio segments were woefully poor tonight, Cecil Martin was abysmal at the touchscreen thing.

I ended up switching to RedZone, partly because the first game looked over (although the Steelers did make a bit of a comeback) but partly because the studio stuff was unbearable.

Wait until the playoff studio coverage turns into an NFLuk infomercial for the ticket sales for next year's Wembley games.

Completely agree with you, I understand why they promote FF but way does anyone care about the presenters. I did however funny a few years back when instead of calling it the pundit leader board, they called it the celebrity board.