Court Refuses To Order NFL Network Restoration To Major Dish Tier

Satellite Service Removed Pro Football Channel From America's Top 100 Package After Simulcast

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 1/14/2009 6:08:00 AM

A court has refused to force Dish Network to put NFL Network back on one of its most widely distributed tiers.

NFL Network filed suit against Dish Network almost a year ago after the satellite provider moved the network to its America’s Top 200 tier on Feb. 20 last year, resulting in the sport service losing about 4 million subscribers. 

“We are pleased that the court denied the NFL Network's motion for summary judgment to enforce the 2006 agreement between the parties,” Dish Network said in a statement Tuesday. “As a result of the ruling, the NFL Network will continue to be offered to Dish Network customers in only our AT200 and AT250 packaging tiers. This will give our customers a choice of programming packages and will not burden all our customers with the cost of the NFL Network."

NFL Network officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Dish Network pulled NFL Network from the “free preview” in is America’s Top 100 package last year, moving it to its AT200 tier, in response to the network’s decision to simulcast a Dec. 28, 2007 game that featured the then-undefeated New England Patrios against the New York Giants on CBS and NBC.