August 6, 1956 – There used to be another major television network that had sports on TV. That was the American national broadcaster DuMont Television Network who after filing for bankruptcy in 1955, made its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena. Dumont was one of the first broadcasters to have live NFL games beamed to living rooms across the nation.
The relationship with the NFL spanned from 1951 through 1955, not exactly banner years for the NFL in terms of popularity. Had they been able to last a few more years as a network when the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants was the first ever NFL playoff game to go into sudden-death overtime. The “Greatest Game” set Professional football and television on a launch to bigger and better things.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Kicking Cousins–Anglo and American Football Ties
You’re a freshman at Harvard in 1827. It’s Bloody Monday. You’re out on the
Inside the Record Makers Invitational: The Weightlifting Showdown of the 80s
I started Olympic Weightlifting in 1981, and up to that point, I didn’t know
Ric Flair’s Fake Heart Attack: The Shocking WCW Moment That Fooled Fans
A few weeks ago I found an Instagram video of Ric Flair having a
Victorian Football: From Mob Rule to Class Rule
In the early 1800s, British football begins to slowly take a more orderly form,
1963 New York Yankees: A Season of Dominance, A World Series To Forget
After winning the World Series in 1961 and 1962 under Manager Ralph Houk, the
From Elegant Ancient Chinese Footballers to the United Kingdom’s Crude Rabble
Over the last two millennia, humans have dotted the world with football. Connect these
The Best NFL Division in 1975 (AFC Central)
The American Football Conference’s Central Division was unquestionably the best division in pro football
Chuck Noll’s 1972 Steelers: How a Rookie and a Defense Built a Legacy
From 1933 (their first season in the NFL) through 1971, the Pittsburgh Steelers had