Patriots Huge Cash Cow for Networks

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If you happen to see some odd officiating in the playoffs this year, this may help to connect the dots for you:

From PFT:

The epic run of the New England Patriots has made for compelling television. And people are watching because of it.
They're also buying stuff.
Per Bloomberg.com, the Patriots' games have contributed to record cable ratings, record Sunday night ratings, and the biggest Sunday afternoon ratings in two decades.
"They are just a steam engine going down the tracks,'' CBS Sports President Sean McManus told Bloomberg.com. "The Patriots have been a great story for us. They're the driving force behind our ratings."
For the regular-season finale on NFL Network, ads are going for $200,000. The standard rate on the league-owned network for regular-season games is $85,000.

That phenomenon will continue as long as the Patriots are alive in the postseason. If the Pats pair up with a team like the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, the end result could be the highest-rated television program in the history of the medium.

And that will mean a huge financial bonanza for the league.
If anything, the cheating scandal that unfolded in September has increased interest in the team's exploits. The 2007 Pats have polarized NFL fans, with the number of folks who have no strong opinion about the franchise shrinking every day.