The Day Has Come

A little bit of background on this one - at the same time as they announced the Vs. deal after the lockout, Comcast said they would be launching the NHL Network "shortly." That was September 2005. Then details came out that they were contractually obligated to start it up by July 31, 2007. And nothing happened. A few weeks ago, a press release hit the wires announcing that some people in Eastern and Central PA would start receiving NHL Network on their Premium Digital Tier in mid-October. Today, however, the following shocked and excited me. Not the NFL part.

Cox Communications Northern Virginia Launches NFL Network in High Definition

              Cox to Also Launch Much-Anticipated NHL Network

   HERNDON, Va., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications Northern
Virginia announced today the launch of NFL Network HD. The network is now
available on Cox Cable channel 718 on the Digital Sports & Info Tier for
Fairfax County and Fredericksburg-area customers with HD set-top boxes. NFL
Network offers more high definition programming than ever before, including
major events such as Super Bowl Week, AFC and NFC Championship Week, and
the NFL Draft, all presented in stunning high-definition.
   "Our valued customers have made it clear to us that they want more
high- definition programming, which is why we continue to aggressively add
to our suite of HD content," said Janet Barnard, vice president and region
manager for Cox Northern Virginia. "We're thrilled to offer NFL Network HD,
which we believe will make being a football fan more enjoyable and
compelling than ever."
   In addition to a variety of exclusive programming, the following eight
primetime regular season games will be featured on NFL Network HD:
   -- Colts at Falcons       Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Packers at Cowboys     Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Bears at Redskins      Thursday, Dec. 6,  2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Broncos at Texans      Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Bengals at 49ers       Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Steelers at Rams       Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Cowboys at Panthers    Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   -- Patriots at Giants     Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 at 8:15 PM ET
   Effective October 30, Cox will also launch the NHL Network, featuring
24- hour hockey coverage including live games. The network's signature show
-- NHL On The Fly -- offers hockey fans exclusive coverage of each game,
including press conferences, expert analysis, and special highlights from
the NHL All- Star Game, NHL Stanley Cup Final and NHL Entry Draft. NHL
Network will be offered on channel 248 of the Digital Sports and Info tier
for Fairfax County and Fredericksburg-area customers.
   About Cox Communications:
   Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and
entertainment company with more than 6 million total residential and
commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the
United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed
Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network, as well
as integrated wireless services in affiliation with Sprint. Cox Business
Services is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications
solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice
and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services
for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local
cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with
promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications
wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the
services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox
Enterprises, is available at http://www.cox.com,
http://www.coxbusiness.com, and http://www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications Northern Virginia


-The odds that we would get this in Redskin/NASCAR country before the Upper Midwest and New England seemed to be zero. The odds that we would get it AT ALL seemed to be close to zero. But Cox shocked me. I've heard the negatives.

"It's not worth the hype."
"Not worth the extra money."
"Not very many live games."
And so on.

The Canadian NHL Network, which is expected to provide almost all of the content to the US version, has set the following schedule for this season's televised games: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl_network/feature/?fid=10435. And that's OK with me. I'll be sending a polite email to Cox now.