More from TvGuide's Matt Roush. Thank you, TVGuide and Matt!
http://www.tvguide.com/ask-matt/friday-night-lights/080811-07Monday, August 11, 2008
Roush on Friday Night Lights
Question: For those of us who don't have DirecTV and are huge fans of Friday Night Lights, what hope do we have that come this October we, too, will be able to watch our beloved show? Will NBC have the episodes available online after they've aired on DirecTV's Channel 101, or do we have to wait and hope beyond all reasonable hope that NBC will find a spot in its schedule early next year in which to show the episodes? — Brandon
Matt Roush: My understanding is that while the series is airing on DirecTV, it will be exclusive to subscribers (though who knows what will happen in this age of illegal file-sharing) and not available online, certainly not in free streaming video in its usual spot on NBC.com until the network begins airing it. And while I appreciate your cynicism, I'm reasonably sure that NBC will uphold its end of the bargain and air all of these episodes in early '09, regardless of the ratings, which I'm sure will be disappointing. Of all the major networks, NBC is most obsessed with cost-effectiveness, and this DirecTV deal makes Friday Night Lights a win-win no matter how it fares on Friday nights in the new year (or wherever it ends up eventually airing).