The FIRST NFL RedZone Broadcast EVER (1973)

Seven hours of commercial free football actually happened back in 1973... sort of
During week 8 of the 1973 NFL season, the New York Giants played the Oakland Raiders at the same time that the San Francisco 49ers played the Detroit Lions. CBS had the rights to both of the games, and both games were taking place at the same time. So, the CBS affiliate in the Bay Area, KPIX, decided to try something absolutely revolutionary- both games at the same time, so both Raider and 49er fans could be happy. And the end result? Well... it was kind of a disaster
Video Mentioned:
Giants/Raiders 1973: • The STRANGEST CHEATING...
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#nfl #redzone #nflredzone #1973 #football #sports #highlights #nflhighlights #nflhistory #nflthrowback #nflfilms #americanfootball #nflnews #raiders #49ers

[@clydemiller4776]

KPIX in 1973: “We’re calling BOTH games!”

[@MikeSparksMusic]

Kevin Harlan

[@vpolite1]

​@MikeSparksMusic Nah, not old enough. It would have been Bob Fouts, Dan Fout's father. Maybe Lon Simmons. Bill King would have been a lot of fun.

[@david-468]

I like redzone especially currently, I don’t feel like subscribing to 4+ platforms to watch every game

[@FlintGiven]

I mean u technically can get KZbin TV or stream it illegally which is not 4 platforms but I understand what u mean.

[@jasonpdsi]

I'm in Washington so it's basically Seahawks country. I can't justify subscribing to Sunday Ticket just to get A 49er game a week. Id be doing what Red Zone does for me anyway.

[@jasonblake1759]

If you want to see what the NFL Redzone channel might have looked like in the 1970’s, check out the “Media Dugout” channel on YT. I’ve basically gotten to watch the entire 1978 season week to week from his carefully re-constructed compilations of games, with the early games on one video and the late games on another video. It is phenomenal! He’s currently working on the same thing for the 1979 season!

[@JennyXJ-WakemanFan]

You very great at finding information about the NFL that we never knew about.

[@KevinT7274]

It did work, they were ahead of their time. We weren't ready for it yet.

[@DavidLimofLimReport]

1973: why do you need to watch every game at once? Whats a mobile phone? Whats youtube?

[@tommyparkerparker]

I live here in the Bay Area. If that were to happen today, KPIX now has a local station KPIX plus. One game on the regular and one on the plus.

[@LegendaryDorkKnight]

I love when you cover 70s football stuff. It truly feels like the Wild West.

[@tubesocksbrigade3031]

This reminds me here in Chicago what WGN Chicago did in the mid 1960s. Granted, WGN had the rights to both Chicago Cubs AND White Sox home games and they only showed home games...and a rare road telecast. 1963 was when WGN did a "Red Zone" style thing before KPIX 10 years later in this story. Both the Cubs had a game at Wrigley Field, while the Sox had a game at Comiskey Park...AT THE SAME TIME. So their idea was to air both games at the same time. Their two announcers who did games for both teams ,Jack Brickhouse and Vince Lloyd were at the two games (Lloyd did the White Sox game while Brickhouse did the Cubs game). From what I heard from old time Chicagoans, that experiment actually worked as WGN tried this experiment a few more times up to 1967.

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

*”I’M CALLING BOTH GAMES!”*

[@Caleb-Williams69420]

NFL Redzone is the greatest invention in human history

[@kos500]

Wow, my CBS affiliate created "RedZone"; an invention that was ahead of its time and has its flaws.

[@CTubeMan]

The year 1973 also gave us the first “reality” show, “An American Family” on PBS.

[@mgb4692]

Also the debut of Rich Stadium, the first naming rights deal in the NFL

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

CBS dumme

[@danmount9462]

I'm on board for JG09 to do another Retro Red Zone episode.

[@jasondickstein71]

Share it with Scott Hansen.

[@brianperez-rj1pw]

I love watching your videos and listening to the music in the background, it’s so nostalgic 😭

[@luisreyes1963]

"Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL?" Apparently not the way it was presented by KPIX back in '73. 😅

[@coiler3927]

Ive read that Germany has a similar channel for the soccer Bundesliga that focuses on exciting situations league wide.

[@jmlapedis49]

FYI, native San Franciscan here - No one EVER calls KPIX "Kay Pics." It is always "Kay Pee Eye Ex."

[@marcus813]

I've never even been west of Kansas and I figured that was the case. I was wondering where that "K-pix" came from. 😆

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Speaking of the NYC area, this is very similar to what happened in May 1995 with the Fox affiliate & their attempt to air 2 games involving local teams in the Rangers & the Devils during the Stanley Cup Playoffs at once. The Rangers (the defending Stanley Cup champions) were facing the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche) in a critical Game 3 at MSG. Meanwhile across the Hudson River, the Devils were facing Boston in another critical Game 3. Fox at the time had the rights to both games due to the fact that they were taking place in the afternoon (ESPN had the rights to all primetime Stanley Cup playoff games) & asked their affiliate in NYC to come up with a way to air both games so that Fox could get high ratings in the NYC area. The affiliate in an effort not to anger both Devils & Rangers fans while also trying to fulfill the mandate Fox laid out, decided to show both games fully via split screen instead of hopping between both games like in this scenario. However this method did the opposite as both Devils & Rangers fans were livid with the broadcast because the commentary/audio overlapped between both games meaning if there was a goal in the Rangers game, Devils fans heard it & vice versa. It created a ton of confusion among the fans & many fans stopped watching after the 1st period & listened to their respective games on the radio. As for how both games turned out, the Rangers beat the Nordiques 4-3 in a thriller while the Devils lost 3-2 to Boston. Unsurprisingly Fox never tried this again with their NHL coverage.

[@keithharper1470]

I remember this game still surprised FOX didn't want to simulcast the Devils game on WOR Ch9 being that it's based out of Secaucus so they really wouldn't lose any viewership locally

[@ElFuego35]

A similar controversy happened in Los Angeles in 2017 in Weeks 4,5, and 11. While the NFL scheduled both teams in opposite slots, the NFL scheduled both the Rams and Chargers to air on the Singleheader network. In Weeks 4 and 5, the NFL granted a modified waiver that allowed Fox (wk 4)/CBS (Wk 5) to air both games in LA... but they had to air the 4:05 game on their sister stations (KCOP and KCAL). In Week 11, the NFL said screw it, and granted a full waiver allowing Fox to air both games without needing to use KCOP. How this was possible, remember that until SoFi was built, the Chargers played at the LA Galaxy stadium. And it was either 1) intentionally done by the NFL or 2) The schedule makers forgot the Chargers relocated to LA as the Chargers announced they were going to relocate in Jan 2017, and the schedule was released in Apr 2017.

[@20thCY]

So basically, they would've been better off selling one of those game's rights to an independent station because of how much of a disaster this was. But on a side note: 1973 was a different time. I'm shocked it failed, but when I think about the tech they had, it makes sense why it failed.

[@djd1121]

To be clear you will see punts.... but only when something actually happens on them :D

[@edwardburek1717]

Now, I like RedZone. It's been a fixture for me, watching it on Sky Sports Mix for the last few years. It's interesting to see that the idea was born 50 years ago, before there was such a thing called NFL Network. It was an idea that was way before its time, but to paraphrase the opening narration of The Six Million Dollar Man rather loosely, they just did not have the technology.

[@SamWesting]

The failure of this 1973 experiment wasn’t so much the technology as it was, the expectations of KPIX’s audience, who were mostly Raiders or 49ers fans. It would be no different today, thinking RedZone would satisfy a hardcore fan of a specific team. Diehards want to see every play of their team’s game. OTOH, anyone tuning into RedZone today know what to expect & are conditioned to be jumping from game to game. The same can’t be said for those Raiders & 49ers fans back in ‘73.

[@andreamay437]

Wait, what? I didn't even know NFLRZ was that old! Wow.

[@romelovesdan]

Good story! Never get the universal praise for "Red Zone". Many I know still want to watch the whole game and see the ebb and flow how the game unfolds. Young and older fans. Obviously, betting, fantasy football, Bigger screen TVs, and shorter attention spans contribute to the demand for Red zone-esque coverage

[@marcus813]

Given the NFL's scheduling procedures, it's hard to blame the NFL here. However, in a video you covered, the NFL still messed up in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1981 in a video you covered given that NBC had the Raiders and the 49ers in separate windows while being limited to airing only one game per DMA (CBS doubleheader).

[@arelyt]

Did you see how many games that are being broadcast by CBS tomorrow that should be on FOX, because Thursday nights game were 2 AFC games, 2 AFC games in Germany, Sunday night game also 2AFC games and finally 2 AFC teams on Monday night football

[@CTubeMan]

You’re right, there’s only one game at either 1 or 4 ET featuring an AFC team on the road (Colts-Panthers). Makes me think the NFL is relying too much on the schedule computer and cross-flexing (I’m still calling it that) when making the schedule.

[@fiveandtwoball]

The Raiders seem to be a magnet for controversial broadcast decisions.

[@vpolite1]

Huh? KPIX is a CBS owned and operated station. CBS had rights to the NFC games back then, or 49ers. NBC had rights to the AFC, or the Raiders.

[@CTubeMan]

This unofficial Official Jaguar Gator 9 historian will remind everyone you made a video about a 49ers home game against the Browns in 1981 that wasn’t broadcast locally even though it was sold out. This will explain why moving the 49ers-Lions game to 10 am PT wouldn’t have necessarily solved this problem.

[@gakster29]

I think your ultimate conclusion that this wasn't a blameworthy decision, despite it spectacularly failing. I haven't read a lot of the comments yet, but I just don't think that's controversial. Folks try stuff all the time. Yeah, a large group of fans were disappointed. However, it's such a bold and interesting idea, that once you get it into your head you *could* do it, well, you gotta at that point.

[@arizonawrestlinginterviews1040]

Is that the same Barry Tomkins that wws the announcer for boxing on HBO? He was awesome!

[@agrofindastation]

Having green up in the bay area, hearing you constantly say Kay-Picks is so weird for me. It was always Kay Pea Eye Ecks... 😅

[@darrellmayberry7784]

Outstanding video and thanks for this info which I had never heard of this until watching this video. I love the NFL Network's Red Zone and will be watching it heavily tomorrow since my home town team played Thursday Night and My favorite team plays Sunday Morning in Germany so I know when this concept started.

[@classicsports5057]

Unfortunately because home recording technology didn't exist till the late 70s there's very few games from before then that exist.

[@titojohnson7141]

And networks saw no value in recording TV sports,Johnny Carson and most other non primetime shows until that period as well. Storing videotape and kinoscope was expensive, but has proven to be valuable as people love to watch this stuff (and it can be sold as "best of Carson", etc). By the time they realized that it was wise to record this, it was too late.

[@classicsports5057]

@@titojohnson7141 if you could store film it degraded fairly quickly also. If you had a film of a game from 1973 it may have degraded to an unwatchable state before you could get it on to a tape.

[@LegendaryDorkKnight]

I consume football entirely through ThatsGoodSports, JaguarGator9 videos, and Chiseled Adonis' highlight commentary. But that's mostly because I never got back on cable after moving to Vegas.

[@notoriouseagle1074]

Loved the one ESPN did with the NHL Frozen Frenzy.

[@brownstarslots]

Im shocked thos was attempted so well in the early 70s. This is like making a home made rocket and getting it to space. Its too bad this wasnt pursued. Also, just judging by the highlights shown i figured the Raiders and Lions destroyed.

[@KevinT7274]

Now with Directv no longer having Sunday Ticket and their own Red Zone Channel Andrew Siciliano should have been moved over to NFL Redzone.

[@the6thpackbrewbuck]

NFL Redzone is how I watch football, that is when the Packers don't play.

[@barbaracaroll]

Wow they had Red zone way back then I never knew it

[@Clown-qo1ng]

Well you got to start somewhere this was just too ahead of is time

[@user-go3rc3fy4i]

What a coincidence that the raiders and giants will be playing tomorrow

[@Bruce12867]

It's by design.

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Yep. Entirely by design. Oddly enough, I found this story when I was researching the Giants/Raiders game from 1973 that I just did a video on

[@MichaelPiz]

Surely, if they'd continued with it, it would've improved as they gained experience. I assume the NFL adjusted to the new law and the situation never repeated itself.

[@ElFuego35]

Yep. After that, in the Bay Area/Los Angeles, and NYC until the Jets moved into the Meadowlands (which rendered it kinda pointless in the NYC market as you can't conduct 2 games at the same time), the NFL would not schedule both teams on the same network in the same slot, either 1) Scheduling 1 for the early slot and 1 for the late slot on a doubleheader weekend 2) the same slot, but insuring the games are on separate networks, or 3) scheduling 1 of the teams for the MNF package, even if it meant that ABC had to air a special edition of MNF on a Sunday or Thursday Night until SNF became it's own package.

[@user-gs5uu1hu5d]

The Red Zone is great now because it's on an entirely different network. You only had 2 channels in 1973 licenses to show NFL games on Sunday afternoons and I'm sure they didn't even have SNF yet.

[@NickCC23]

In the San Francisco Bay Area KPIX is spelled out K-P-I-X instead on K-PIX.

[@emorimiku]

that was a surprise US congress appearance for me

[@dougclark7077]

I have a question about the current RedZone. I have watched this channel for a number of years, and in the past, they would show every game to its conclusion unless the last game ran past 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Now we are told that they cease coverage once there is only one game still being played, even though it may be well before 8:00. On one occasion, we were told to switch to a network affiliate to see the conclusion, even though that game was a "singlecast" and it was shown to less than 50% of the country. Why the change?

[@Oldschool811]

You going to run out of football anomalies soon got to expand to all sports soon bro!

[@rrrob19]

I love RedZone but one drawback is that it makes it hard to watch a normal broadcast(like a Sunday Night or playoff game). I am a little curious as to why ABC/ESPN hasn’t tried a version of this with college football.

[@MorganWick]

For a while ESPN had something called the Goal Line channel, but it didn't work as well as RedZone even controlling for the fact it only showed ESPN-controlled games live.

[@SamWesting]

@@MorganWickRedZone: often imitated, never duplicated. Goal Line never caught on. MLB tried & failed w/Full Count a decade ago. Now they are trying again w/Big Inning, which relies on a 4 game grid far too often.

[@ronpeacock9939]

The tech wasn't ready and they didn't have the knowledge from today where they could use other accouncers that are not part of either broadcast to stay seemless... Can't really blame them.. it was '73 and TV was still mostly Black and White back then..

[@brownstarslots]

This Raider/Giants game is the same game you did a video for earlier this week right? Fans stealing the defensive play book i think?

[@Bruce12867]

He mentioned that in the early part of this video.

[@kevinmadden1645]

😊😊😊😅😊😊😊😊❤

[@kevinmadden1645]

​@@Bruce12867Why anyone would waste their time stealing the Giant's playbook is beyond me. They were as pathetic then as they are now.

[@acork7601]

Speaking of that...wheres the other red zone episodes you promised years ago

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Copyright issues played a huge part in that, plus timing. Wanna try and do one this offseason, but no promises

[@americanidol30]

Was that Raiders-Giants game a sellout? If it wasn't, this is a non story and you're not making this video.

[@titojohnson7141]

The game was sold out.

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Yep. Mentioned that in the vid. That game was sold out, hence why they did it like this, since if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t even be allowed to show the Raiders game

[@americanidol30]

I guess I wasn't listening

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

Who wants to pay for scripted games