According to the NFL, it will continue to be carried on Comcast cable systems past the Thursday night expiration of its current contract.
That is because the two sides are continuing to talk about a new deal, said the network in a statement.
"Comcast and the NFL are engaged in productive discussions toward a new agreement for NFL Network carriage on Comcast," said the e-mailed statement. "NFL Network will continue to be carried on Comcast systems past tonight's scheduled expiration of the current contract while both sides continue these productive discussions. We are both working to find a solution that works for NFL fans and Comcast's customers."
The NFL and Comcast are currently awaiting the outcome of a hearing on the NFL's program carriage complaint against Comcast.
It isn't clear if the NFL Network would drop that program carriage complaint if it strikes a new carriage deal with Comcast, since the heart of the complaint was the NFL's disatisfaction with Comcast's current carriage terms--on a separate sports tier--which it says are discriminatory.
Asked if that would be the case, NFL spokesman Dan Masonson would only say: "We have no further comment today."
A Comcast spokesperson would not comment beyond the official statement.
