It will be interesting to see if the NFL pushing fans to other cable and satellite operators gets a deal done. As the league points out, the football faithful stand to miss out on training camp and preseason coverage in the immediate future, with the full regular season on the line as well. Dish and the NFL have worked out agreements in the past, but only time will tell if they can come to terms this time around.

"As the only network 100% dedicated to coverage of America's most popular sports league, NFL Network is committed to serving the millions of NFL fans by reaching fair distribution agreements with the pay-TV industry," the league said in a statement.

"Our contract with NFL Network has expired," Dish explained in a statement to Engadget. "We remain open to a fair offer that allows us to carry this content at an appropriate value to our customers."