I'm paying for it, but I admit I'm spoiled.

With the digital package and the sports tier on Cox Communications, I'm able to get the NFL Network.

And while I'm not glued to it 24/7 like some fanatics, it has some great shows and offers a number of preseason games, as well as eight regular-season contests.

But when the family gathers at my sister's home in the High Desert for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm out of luck -- just like most of you.

My sister is a Time Warner subscriber, and Time Warner doesn't carry the NFL Network, nor does Comcast. The nation's two largest cable carriers have long failed to reach an agreement to carry the NFL Network.

That could all change soon, as the NFL and Disney -- which owns ESPN and ABC -- are discussing a deal that would bring the NFL Network to every cable company that carries ESPN, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Established in 2003, the NFL Network is available in only 40 million homes. ESPN is in 96 million.

The move may have been spurred by the Baseball Channel, which makes its debut next season. Time Warner, Cox, Comcast and DirecTV all have a stake in the Baseball Channel, and it will start with a subscriber base of 47 million.

And while the NFL-Disney talks are good news, those who don't get the NFL Network shouldn't start jumping for joy, or making plans to camp by the TV from August to February.

If it happens, any NFL-Disney deal would come with an added cost to cable subscribers.

"If this happens, I very seriously doubt the NFL or Disney is going to give it away," said one cable executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. "I doubt games or content will move to ESPN or ESPN2. And I doubt Disney would create another network, because there just isn't enough room on the band for another network."

So we're talking about the NFL Network staying where it is on Cox and being added to Time Warner and Comcast as a premium digital channel.

ESPN most assuredly would add content and talent to any merged network. And it would certainly help ad sales.

Former NFL owner Art Modell, who pushed the idea of a league-owned network, told the Wall Street Journal that the NFL Network "hasn't been a smashing commercial success so far. But it could come out of its hole by having a linkage to ESPN or some similar outfit."

And money talks.

Two years ago, NFL owners agreed to pass up about $400 million on TV revenue to put regular-season games on the NFL Network. The investment on their money hasn't been good.

So recovering those lost dollars are what could be the catalyst for a merger, one which would help the fans this time -- but at a price.

Who's No. 1?

According to the 2008 Beta Satellite Dish Subscriber Study, the NFL Network was the top-ranked network among satellite subscribers in three categories.

It led all networks in average perceived value among viewers. Among mid-sized and emerging networks, the study put the NFL Network atop its viewer satisfaction rankings, and its viewers rating the network as important to their enjoyment of satellite service category.

The survey's sample size included only 600 adults and 100 teens in households who subscribe to DirecTV or EchoStar.

More football

- Fox has added ex-Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan to its NFL pregame show, which already includes Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Curt Menefee and Jimmy Johnson. Strahan said he had other network offers, but had a good working relationship with Fox during his playing career and decided to go where he felt most comfortable. Strahan spent his entire 15-year career with the Giants, retiring with a franchise-record 133 1/2 sacks, including the NFL single-season record.

- ESPN and ESPN2 will each show two Arena Football League wild-card playoff games this weekend. At 4:30 p.m. today, ESPN has New York-Dallas, while Saturday's 4 p.m. game is Colorado-Utah. ESPN2 has a Monday doubleheader, with Orlando-Cleveland at 4 p.m. and Grand Rapids-Arizona at 6:30 p.m. The divisional playoffs are July 5-7, with the conference championships July 12-14. ArenaBowl XXII is July 27 at New Orleans.

- The NFL Network has the Big 33 Classic high school football all-star game at 5 p.m. Saturday. The game, which originated in 1957, pits the top seniors from Pennsylvania and Ohio. It has previously showcased future NFL stars like Tony Dorsett, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Kerry Collins and Ben Roethlisberger.

- ESPNU will carry the 49th annual Orange County All-Star game at 6 p.m. July 26, with a replay at 1 p.m. on July 28. The game will be played July 11 at Orange Coast College.

Set the anchors

ESPN named its anchor crews for the network's new weekday morning "SportsCenter" segments, which are set to debut in August.

Linda Cohn and Steve Berthiaume will work the 3-6 a.m. shift, while Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott get the prime 6-9 a.m. slot. Chris McKendry and Robert Flores work 9 a.m.-noon.

Sage Steele replaces Storm on Fridays. Storm will co-host "SportsCenter" on Sunday mornings.

The new lineup will replace the current morning segments, which are taped the previous night.

Women's golf

ESPN has today's coverage of the U.S. Women's Open from Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.

Host Mark Rolfing will join analysts Judy Rankin and Dottie Pepper for live coverage, with Andy North, Jane Crafter and Roger Maltbie providing on-course reports.

ESPN's coverage of the event will include features on Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa, currently the No. 1 player in the world.

NBC has the weekend coverage with its regular golf crew that includes Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller.

Olympic trials

NBC and the USA Network will combine to broadcast 19 hours of U.S. Olympic trials over 10 straight nights in prime time beginning Saturday, though the footage will be tape-delayed on the West Coast.

Michael Phelps, Aaron Piersol, Katie Hoff, Kate Ziegler, Dara Torres, Brendan Hansen and Natalie Coughlin are among the swimmers scheduled to compete in Omaha, Neb., beginning Sunday.

Phelps is attempting to qualify for the Olympics in nine individual events: the 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle, the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100 and 200 butterfly.

Hicks, Bob Costas, Rowdy Gaines and Andrea Kremer report from Omaha's Qwest Center.

In track, Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Bernard Lagat, Reese Hoffa, Sanya Richards and Lauryn Williams are among the top competitors looking to earn a trip to Beijing in the trials at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. Competition begins Saturday.

Tom Hammond, Carol Lewis, Lewis Johnson, Ato Boldon, Dwight Stones, Ed Eyestone and Bob Neumeier report from Eugene, Ore.

Tennis, anyone?

Coverage from Wimbledon continues this week with coverage on ESPN2, NBC and The Tennis Channel.

ESPN2 has early-morning coverage, starting at 4 a.m. NBC jumps in at 9 a.m. and The Tennis Channel has the late duty, with coverage starting at 4 p.m.

Around the dial

- HorseRacing TV's "Inside Information", which airs at 6 p.m. Sunday, takes a look at the life of jockey Richard Migliore -- a fixture on the New York circuit -- and Native Diver, California's first million-dollar horse. Native Diver raced 81 times with 37 wins -- 34 of those stakes races -- and won three consecutive Hollywood Gold Cups from 1965-67.

John Maffei's TV/Radio Column appears every Friday. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.