The longest-running series on cable television is coming to an end, at least in its current form. HBO has announced that it is canceling the 31-year-old show Inside The NFL, meaning tonight's episode will be the last. "Inside the NFL has been a hallmark program for three decades on HBO," HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg said in a statement. "It has been a terrific franchise ... but the television landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years and we have to recognize the realities of the business. I'm not sure we had more than one competitor when the show launched."When Greenburg says the television landscape has changed, that mostly means that football fans who want to see highlights have already seen them on ESPN or NFL Network long before they show up in the middle of the week on HBO. As good as the content of Inside the NFL is, it's just not necessary to show highlights of Sunday's games on Wednesday night.
But the NFL tells Multichannel News that the show will return on another network next year. No details were given, but the most likely scenario is the show, which has always been heavy on NFL Films footage, turning up on NFL Network.
NFL Network would probably not be able to afford host Bob Costas, however, so the show could come back in a significantly altered form. Tonight's show will mostly focus on the Super Bowl but will also feature a short retrospective of the series' history.
Hat tip: Sports by Brooks.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. Another example of the tail wagging the dog. I've watched this show in all its variations since the inception.
The current version is great with Costas, Peter King, and the three ex-NFLers.
Although it's being cancelled, I'm hoping HBO is merely getting rid of the current format and will bring back something similar next season.
Accolades to Bob, Peter, Dan, Cris, and Chris.
Posted at 4:00PM on Feb 6th 2008 by buzmeg
2. Dan Marino and Cris Carter are horrible on that show. I'm surprised HBO is cancelling it though, considering they kept Flight of the Conchords and Big Love. HBO is horribly mediocre now, and it won't help when the Wire (great show) disappears also.
Posted at 4:52PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Gern Wormstead
3. isn't this the same show where dan marino lost it ???
Posted at 5:47PM on Feb 6th 2008 by john wilson
4. That a shame. Great show and far far better than it's competition.
Posted at 5:57PM on Feb 6th 2008 by dude
5. This show was getting way too old and corny. Its about time it was taken off of the air. Who wants to see 3 day old highlights? This was a good show back in the 80's. Did Marino, Carter or Collinsworth ever win a Super Bowl?.. I dont think so. I want to hear from champions not players that didnt win the big one.
Posted at 6:16PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Dan
6. Off topic...I don't usually watch Bryant Gumbull, but his show on former NFL players who have fallen on bad times really got to me. How can guys who make zillions of dollars not help a guy who can barely walk at 35 and has to count quarters just to put enough gas in his car to make it to the doctor?
Are you listening Art?
Posted at 7:26PM on Feb 6th 2008 by al coholic
7. This breaks my heart. I am an almost forty new stay at home mom. I LOVE this show. NO ONE beats the footage or the audio in terms of a weekly recap. I love the insight of the "hosts", but NOTHING copares to the VOICE of the show. Geeeeez, I guess I will have to get to know Sports center or something to get my fix, but I am not happy about it. p.s. I haver nevr posted anything anywhere.
Posted at 8:48PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Erin
8. Wish they would cancel Chris Berman. That is the absolute WORST freakin' idiot of any Sports Show. I wish 'HE WOULD GO ALL THE WAY" OUT.
Posted at 9:24PM on Feb 6th 2008 by John Pinero
9. funny, was 3 yrs old when they started it, now 34, and could care less they're getting rid of it...far more important issues in the world than this....who cares???? Let's worry about something that has a little more impact of life itself?
Posted at 9:32PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Heidi
10. I'm sorry to see the show go. But I have to say MARINO was one of my favorite QBS. But he and the rest of the crew did not pick the GIANTS at all this season. And they made a fool of themselves. The GIANTS were the hungrier team and the best team in the Super Bowl. All those rookies and they made BRADY look like a lost soul. It may be a start of something big for a few years. Don't count the GIANTS out next year. Go GIANTS.
Posted at 9:32PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Al Fuscarino
11. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo HBO Boooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
Posted at 9:52PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Mark Elliott
12. Oh No! This grandmother always made it a point to watch the show. I wanted to be current with any NFL news, loved watching the highlights and enjoyed the banter between Bob, Chris, Cris and Dan. Please don't go!
Football Grandmother
Posted at 10:28PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Diane
13. WOW! I'd been watching INFL since Len Dawson/Nick Buonicotti were Hosts. Matter of fact, I was just talking with a friend of mine saying I was going to get HBO in the Fall just for INFL but now they're moving to another Network it won't be bad. HBO charges $21 (additional) per month for a movie channel and NFL Network is only $6.95/month. I think INFL should be shown on ESPN but NFL is NFL and how much can you talk about Football when you have NFL Network 24/7/365. I enjoyed picking my teams every week "Beat the Hosts" .... Hell, I beat them every year (except this year...I fell (3) games and tied for 2nd place).
Posted at 10:38PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Bill (Virginia Beach, VA)
14. boob costass, dunce morono and crepe crater are the worst football pundits in the history of the univers. costass should stick to basebal where sanctimonious pious drivel is more common place. crater and morono should find shelter underground and stay put. peter king is the antichrist. i believe he was embalmed twenty five years ago and propped up on a tv set like a chucky puppet. his voice may be the same guy who did kermit the frog. frank Oz? finally hbo. there is real change coming in america now. thank you and god bless
Posted at 11:05PM on Feb 6th 2008 by glob riskbowel
15. And so HBO drops another show that made them unique.
What will Bob C. do next year???
Posted at 11:06PM on Feb 6th 2008 by patrickgawne
16. i appeal to hbo to reconsider. perhaps change some of the on air personalitys, but dont cancel the entire show
Posted at 11:17PM on Feb 6th 2008 by marty
17. i love the show. I watch it at least twice each week. This season they featured the Browns and said good things about them. I was hoping to hear next season's comments. I guess I won't keep HBO. The show is the only reason that I ordered it, and this is dumb. I can't believe the same network that would show a stupid movie like "Norbit", would cancel a quality show. I will miss it
Posted at 11:22PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Marilyn Thompson
18.
Sad to see INFL go...It was a throwback type of show and that's why it stood out today..... Not flashy.....but geniune and informative.....Sure it showed highlights three days after the games...BUT they were filmed highlights not the typical video we see from ESPN and others.
I learned more about the game watching INFL than any other show...
Hope it turns up somewhere else....I'd pay to watch it.
Posted at 11:24PM on Feb 6th 2008 by john hayes
19. I have watched this show from its inception. The argument that other channels offer the highlights before this program has been true for years. Why is it suddenly a problem? Over the years the offerings on HBO have been going downhill like a runaway train. Will be hard to justify keeping it in my cable package.
Posted at 11:38PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Jack Brooks
20. What?! Are you kidding me? I'm only 22, and I love this show. Yes, you can see certain highlights elsewhere, but not the way they show them in this show using the NFL Films footage. Furthermore, everyone is talking about NFL Network...millions of people (myself included) don't have access to NFLN, remember? As for the banter bewteen the guys, I didn't mind it and thought they had good chemistry. I will definitely miss this show. It's the only thing I watch on HBO.
Posted at 11:57PM on Feb 6th 2008 by CSINBAD2