Life remained good, even after satellite-based competition from DirecTV Group ( DTV) and Dish Network ( DISH) began to tighten things up a bit.

FORBES: Will The Internet Wreck Cable-TV's Lush Margins?

The two men's business interests clashed a decade ago, when Mr Murdoch's News Corp and Liberty Media vied for control of DirecTV Group, the largest US satellite TV broadcaster.

BBC: Virgin Media in talks with John Malone's Liberty Global

With the NFL Network is available in only about 40% of American households, Sprint executives hope the NFL games can do for their company what the league's Sunday Ticket package has done for satellite-television provider DirecTV Group.

WSJ: NFL Games Go Wireless

"There have been reports that DirecTV management discussed a plan to put in a bid and buy DirecTV themselves, " says Jimmy Schaeffler of The Carmel Group, a satellite research firm based in Carmel, Calif.

FORBES: Chief Executive Charles Ergen

DirecTV sends out such signals about twice a month, but according to The Carmel Group's Sean Badding, intrepid pirates can effectively block ECMs using devices called emulators, or if that fails, reactivate a "burned" card using a "card strip box" that connects to a personal computer.

FORBES: DirecTV Declares War On TV Pirates

The Tennis Channel is owned by a group that includes several private-equity firms, although satellite-TV firms DirecTV Inc.

WSJ: Comcast Ordered to Carry Tennis Channel More Widely