NFL Network & the League's Abundant Resources

In aggressive efforts to increase viewers and revenue, professional sports leagues from Major League Baseball (MLB) to the National Hockey League (NHL) are increasing the amount of free and paid content they offer online. The NFL clearly has the most dynamic online presence among the Big 4 sports leagues, especially after the recent renovation of its website, nfl.com. In addition, the NFL had a significant head start with the formation of its own TV network, the NFL Network. Since NFL Network's formation in 2003, the NBA (NBA TV), MLB (MLB Network), and NHL (NHL Network) have all established their own TV networks. The NFL's incomparable revenue stream has allowed the league to be a pioneer in new media, taking business risks that it otherwise could not. They took a huge risk with the creation of NFL Network, as there was no guarantee cable providers would jump on the bandwagon. Today, as more and more service providers offer packages with NFL Network, that risk appears to be a slam dunk. In fact, the league continues to add content, and reporters, to the network's programming, as well as high school and college content....