NFL Network and NFL RedZone join new cable startup lineup

Over the last year and a half, we’ve been following the perils of the cable industry due to cord cutting and the increase of online streaming services like DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and others. So you would think starting a cable TV company in this era of uncertainty would be rather risky. But that is exactly what a new company called Layer3 TV has done.

Based out of Denver, Layer3 TV began in September and it’s already serving customers in Chicago and Washington, D.C. NFL Network has announced that it has signed up to join Layer3’s lineup to provide its Thursday Night Football games as well as NFL RedZone. One of the reasons why cable subscribers elect not to cut the cord for good is the ability to watch live sports.

As we have seen with the online over the top services, not every sports network is available and there has been issues with blackouts. That is not the case with pay TV providers who have long-term agreements with CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, the various league-owned networks and various independent channels.

Layer3 TV has a cost in the neighborhood of $80 to $150 per month, providing 200 HD channels and the option to add premium networks like HBO. There’s the opportunity to store as many as 2,000 shows and it promises better customer service than established pay TV providers. It offers recommendations on what to watch based on algorithms and a 4K set top device.

So as the cable industry is in a state of flux and online services pop up to attract subscribers in an effort to take away from traditional pay TV, Layer3 TV comes in and signs up NFL Network. The dust in the pay TV landscape will take a long time to settle and Layer3 TV hopes that it will be a major player once it does.

[Chicago Inno]