NFL Network, NFL RedZone off Comcast’s Xfinity cable system

NFL fans who are Comcast Xfinity cable customers received an unpleasant surprise on the first day of May. 

As mentioned by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post and Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, NFL Network went off the air for Xfinity subscribers on Monday. 

"Our programming agreement with NFL Network has expired," reads a brief on-screen message on what was the station's channel. "As a result, this channel is currently unavailable through Xfinity and Comcast Business." 

Additionally, Xfinity customers said they received an email that confirmed NFL RedZone would not be available to them through the company if the season began today. 

"We know unexpected changes to your TV lineup can be frustrating, and we apologize for the inconvenience," the email said. "We are committed to bringing you the entertainment you love, and we have made reasonable offers that NFL Network has not accepted." 

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing pointed out that Dish and Sling dropped both NFL Network and NFL RedZone back in June 2020 before the channels ultimately returned to those services on the opening Sunday of that season. Lucia added, though, that the two NFL channels went dark on what is currently known as DirecTV Stream back in the spring of 2019 and still haven't returned. 

Logic suggests that Comcast and the NFL will eventually work things out. Comcast owns NBC, and Ken Belson and Kevin Draper of the New York Times wrote in March 2021 that the television home of "Sunday Night Football" was among the companies that signed new media rights agreements with the NFL "worth about $110B over 11 years." 

NFL+, the league's subscription streaming service, allows fans to watch a live feed of NFL Network. The "NFL Sunday Ticket" out-of-market package is moving to YouTube TV this coming September, and that streaming service is an option for people who could consider moving on from Xfinity this spring.