NFL Network dumps St. Louis Rams-Cleveland Browns re-air
By Phil Watson
The Cleveland Browns apparently didn’t believe the NFL Network was serious about a ban on virtual signage on preseason broadcasts.
But according to Pro Football Talk, citing “a source with knowledge of the situation,” NFL Network dumped its scheduled re-air of Saturday’s preseason game between the Browns and the St. Louis Rams because the Browns ignored the new ban on virtual signage.
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The Browns apparently sold large chunks of the field to advertisers, who overlaid ads onto parts of the field during the broadcast, including the entire red-zone area.
The game was scheduled to re-air at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday; instead, NFLN re-aired the New Orleans Saints-Indianapolis Colts game from Saturday that was aired nationally on CBS.
NFL Network is said to be attempting to acquire the Rams’ broadcast of the game in order to re-air it as scheduled at 8 p.m. Eastern on Monday and 3 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.
If the network can’t secure the Rams’ telecast, the New York Giants-New York Jets game will be re-aired on Monday night, with the Carolina Panthers-New England Patriots contest to be re-aired on Thursday afternoon.
The Rams defeated the Browns 33-14 behind two touchdown passes from Austin Davis, but lost quarterback Sam Bradford for the season with a torn ACL, the same injury that ended his 2013 season prematurely.