If the NFL lockout delays/cancels the 2011 season--Programming Edition

[DToTheJ]

I suspect we'll have NFL as scheduled this fall...

Think about it: with a delayed start to the season, the Super Bowl could be played in late February - meaning all of the major playoff games would qualify for the February sweeps. (And with the rumor of the regular season being expanded to 18 games, I think this is what the NFL secretly wants, anyway - you know, as a way to give back to the networks for the guaranteed money the networks have committed, games or no games...)

 

[FreddyE1977]

the Commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference (now the Pac-12) is exploring
moving some of his conference's college football games to Sunday if the
lockout is still going on after September. Others may follow suit.

 

[mgsports]

But ESPN might be back in the NHL TV Deal.
MLB Network uses some it's own crew to call games like NFL does but NHL Network and NBATV don't.

 

[radiolives]

That is true ESPN may want the NHL again. I'd rather have more college basketball instead. Also might the CBS Sports Network want NHL cable rights? Thats possible also, but I don't think the main network would want NHL rights.

As for what CBS could air on Sunday if no NFL, college basketball or college football
As for FOX, maybe college football

 

[JeeperOne]

I'm surprised no one has speculated on this, but if the ongoing lockout cancels or hopefully just delays the 2011 NFL season, what do you think could be possible programming alternatives for Sunday NFL coverage on CBS and Fox, and more interestingly Sunday Night Football on NBC (with the Peacock's ongoing ratings problems)?

Easy. More of what we see in the offseason

Could the last three Sundays of the 2011 MLB season--which would also coincide with what would have been Weeks 1-3 of the NFL season--witness Fox airing a bonus MLB game particularly with pennant/wild card races heating up? (If possible). Could even some postseason MLB games, particularly the divisional series, that are to be played on a Sunday be moved up to daytime?

Not without stepping on the toes of TBS.

That said though, they could do a studio-based show which does whip-around coverage similar to what NFL RedZone does on the same Sunday Afternoons. Afterall, it's not like Fox doesn't have the benefit of FSN & ROOT Sports to back them up.

From Week 2 (after the US Open concludes) through mid-November, could CBS be forced to go retro 1994-97 when they lost the NFL rights--and be stuck with IIRC Harlequin romance dramas--or will the times that would have had games be given to the affiliates (who most likely will fill those slots with infomercials--same with Fox)? Then when college basketball begins before Thanksgiving, could CBS possibly try to schedule some Sunday early season college hoops in the regular NFL slot?

They'd likely turn the time back to the affiliates

(Speaking of Thanksgiving 2011--could ESPN/ABC or CBS schedule a bonus college football rivalry game on the holiday in lieu of the NFL?)

Possible. They program College Football on the Friday afterwards. FSN & NFL Network could do the same thing

What do you think--if there is no Super Bowl on Feb. 5, 2012 due to the lockout--might be alternate "Super Bowl Sunday" program offerings on all affiliates that night? Could there be an attempt to move the Academy Awards to that Sunday for 2012 only (on ABC), or perhaps a big night of the likes of "Survivor," "Biggest Loser," and the Fox Sunday animation domination (e.g. a "very special" Simpsons).

CBS would have the rights in 2012. As such, I would expect them to beef up accordingly.

ABC doesn't televise the NFL anymore so I don't expect it to do anything out of the ordinary.

And how might the NFL Network fill their programming void if there is a lockout?

With NFL Classics on Thursday Nights & NFL Replay showing random selections of games on Sunday Afternoons

Hopefully--but I'm not holding my breath--the NFL lockout can be resolved where at least some of the 2011 season could be salvaged, but what are your thoughts/ideas/predictions on what programming alternatives the networks may be forced to resort to if the 2011 NFL season is cancelled?

See above

Cheers

 

[mgsports]

First CBS Sports has to do a show to go up against Sportscenter,Baseball Tonight and so on.

Maybe Universal Sports Network could be turned into NBC Sports Channel.

Overseas Sports,Tennis League that's out their,Minor League Sports.

 

[JeeperOne]

What about showing games from this football league? http://www.lflus.com/ ;D 8)

Umm I don't think so. Not even FOX would wanna consider this (And they LOVE to push the envelope)

Cheers

 

[JeeperOne]

ESPN could move the MLB game to ABC.
TBS could move it's MLB Game to CBS.

This has about as much of a chance of happening as 31 day months getting a 32nd day (And February actually seeing a 30th day)

I'll let you figure out what that translates to ;D

Cheers

 

[radiolives]

First CBS Sports has to do a show to go up against Sportscenter,Baseball Tonight and so on.

Could see a Sportscenter type show but not sure about each sport having their special show like Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, etc. With each sport having their own network I feel it would be hard.

Maybe Universal Sports Network could be turned into NBC Sports Channel.

NBC Universal now has Versus under them which will probably get a named something else but I don't think it would be NBC Sports Channel or NBC Sports Network because CBS uses that brand on their rebranded sports network (CBS Sports Network).

 

[mgsports]

They could but would need to find some Baseball people like maybe Steve Phillips and so on to be part of the Network. James Brown could host the NFL show on Weekdays.

 

[Mediafrog+]

also the United Football League could schedule games on Sunday, if they still exist come September

If there is no NFL football come August, not only will the UFL exist, but they'll get many of the current NFL players and have a huge expansion, at least for one season (See: Players' League, 1890). That's been their business plan ever since this labor mess started. But if the players and owners work out a deal, then the UFL is toast.

The UFL's main contract is with Versus, now part of the Comcast/NBCUniversal behemoth, so there would be additional television avenues available. I wouldn't mind seeing this league succeed, but it needs more teams...the current five is a joke. Nobody will ever mistake the UFL for the NFL, but the games I've watched on TV have been reasonably competitive and entertaining.

Wonder if an extended NFL dispute might help the planned return of the USFL, supposedly set for Spring 2012 after a couple of years of delays due to the economy. The "New USFL" website is about to be relaunched, and teams are (supposedly) going to be announced in the near future (of course, this may all turn to vapor; after much hype, the AAFL never actually launched in 2008, and is most likely dead, despite occasional rumblings.)

 

[radiolives]

They could but would need to find some Baseball people like maybe Steve Phillips and so on to be part of the Network. James Brown could host the NFL show on Weekdays.

Could move the NFL Show that I believe airs on Showtime to CBS Sports Network instead. Makes more sense I think and both networks are owned by CBS.