Cowboys, Comcast to Launch Dallas Cowboys Channel (DallasCowboys.com)

Cowboys in the morning. Cowboys in the afternoon. Cowboys all night long. In fact, it will be Dallas Cowboys 24/7, the club announcing Thursday the launching of a new cable TV channel through a partnership with Comcast. Comcast will introduce the Dallas Cowboys Channel Sept. 8 on channel 276 as part of a new sports lineup which will also include picking up the NFL Network on channel 275 for the start of the regular season thanks to a recent agreement with the NFL. But now for Cowboys fans, they won't have to share the Cowboys with the rest of the league. The Dallas Cowboys will have their very own channel, one offering exclusive coverage of America's Team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for markets in Texas, Little Rock, Ark., New Mexico, Tucson, Ariz., and Los Angeles, where Comcast is available. More than 1.3 million Comcast customers will have access to the DCC at launch.

"We know Comcast will be a great partner for the Dallas Cowboys and will give our fans an opportunity to get an inside look into our organization that most viewers don't typically get to see," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "I am confident that the Dallas Cowboys Channel will be a tremendous addition to Comcast's robust lineup and a prime choice for Cowboy fans. "In offering a unique combination of up-to-the-minute current news with a rich archive of original Cowboys-produced programming, we feel there will be quality content to entertain generations of Cowboys fans."

The Cowboys are still in the process of outlining their entire schedule, but this year here is some of the featured programming expected to air on the new channel being spearheaded by Cowboys director of broadcasting Scott Purcel:
# Cowboys Today, a one-hour daily news update on current events.
# Bill Parcells' daily press conference live at 11:30 a.m. from Valley Ranch.
# Rebroadcasts of Special Edition with Jerry Jones .
# Rebroadcasts of Cowboys Huddle (with Bill Parcells)
# Rebroadcasts of this year's preseason games, and possibly preseason games from previous years.
# Simulcasts of internet shows from DallasCowboys.com Radio, including a two-hour morning show with Mickey Spagnola and Bill Jones, a Tuesday reporter roundtable and a weekly fantasy show every Friday.
# Various highlights of current and past games, coaches shows and special broadcasts.
# Cheerleader specials, including current and past calendar shoots.

And that's just the very beginning.

While Comcast already has a similar channel in Atlanta with the Falcons, corporate officials said the partnership with the Cowboys takes its cable network to another level. "No other team in the NFL has such a vast and loyal fan base as 'America's Team,' said Mike Cleland, Comcast's Area Vice President. "This new channel is going to give Cowboys fans access to their team like never before. This also builds on Comcast's ever-growing commitment to deliver local and unique products and services that our customers want." Throughout the course of the regular season, the Cowboys hope to be able to play old games, although NFL Films still owns the rights to those broadcasts.

Cowboys Vice President Jerry Jones Jr., one of the leaders in putting together this deal, said the team is still working on the arrangement with the league to be able to rebroadcast regular-season games. But in the end, Jones said he is confident the DCC will have the ability to show games such as past Super Bowls, playoff games and memorable regular-season contests. Other programming could include coaches shows from the Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson era, as well as old press conferences, such as the signing of Troy Aikman in 1989 or his retirement press conference in 2001. "By having your own channel, it allows us to show the greatest moments in Cowboys history," Jerry Jones Jr. said. "And the league encourages teams to have their own channel. They're all behind it. Because it allows teams to localize it to each area."

This is a brilliant marketing move. The NFL is far and away the most popular sports product in America and the Cowboys are its most popular team. I wouldn't be surprised if this became available nationwide at some point.

Cross-post from OTB.