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

Senda Berenson and The First Women’s Basketball Game
The very first women’s game recorded happened only one year after the game was

Power Lifting Career of an Average Joe
Before you get started with this article, you may want to read the first

Mastering the Masters: A Brief History of the Tournament
This year’s PGA Masters Tournament is scheduled for April 11 through the 14th. A

Hidden Sports History: Women’s Soccer & Rowing From the 1800s
When it comes to sports, dozens of leagues entertain fans from around the world.

The Bizarre season of the 1970 St. Louis Cardinals
After winning the NFL Championship in 1947 and compiling a combined 21–5 record in

Wrestling History: Through The Eyes of a Boomer
This article is an excerpt from SPORTS & BOOMERS: The History of Sports Through

Olympic Weightlifting Career of an Average Joe
The first time I witnessed Weightlifting was on the television show “Wide World of

Peek Into Glass Backboards: A Coast to Coast Anthology of American Basketball
The following is an excerpt from Glass Backboards: A Coast to Coast Anthology of