Via Bloomberg you can find the answer: NFL, Cable Dispute May Limit Audience for Network’s First Game.  Basically there’s a price dispute between the NFL and the three largest cable companies:  Cablevision, Charter (my provider) and Time Warner.

The issue:

The NFL Network wants to be included in basic cable packages with channels such as ESPN or CNN, where it can reach the broadest possible audience. Basic-package channels charge a fee for each subscriber. Wider distribution also brings higher advertising rates.

[…]

“This is a dance and it’s only about the sub fee,'’ Frank told a SportsBusiness Journal seminar on Nov. 15. “The NFL Network is asking 80 cents a sub. They’re prepared to offer about 25 cents a sub and eventually they’ll end up at 40-45 cents a sub.'’

I suspect that at some point that this issue will be resolved–as they both need one another.  The part that I find remarkable is that the NFL didn’t find a way to reach a compromise given the huge Thanksgiving Day audience that they are going to miss out on.