DISH Network (and probably other cable and satellite providers) have been running free preview events for quite some time. It’s a great opportunity for subscribers to check out channels that they do not currently subscribe to.

In the past, it seems like most of these free previews were for premium movie channels like HBO and Cinemax, but DISH Network appears to be expanding beyond those channels and offering customers the chance to see other types of programming.

Currently, the following free previews are being offered:

The National Geographic Channel (November 4th through November 30th)
NFL Network (October 28th through November 30th)
Cooking Channel (October 28th through November 30th)
AMC (October 28th through November 30th)
GSN – The Game Show Network (October 28th through November 30th)
Science Channel (October 28th through November 30th)
Sony Movie Channel (October 20th through November 30th)

This current offering of free previews seems to cover the gamut pretty well. From sports to cooking, movies and more, there seems to be programming in this free preview for everyone.

Attention fantasy football enthusiasts: The Gridiron Games will give all DISH Network subscribers access to two fantasy football games which can be played for cash prizes.

Both fantasy football games that make up the Gridiron Games are exclusive to DISH Network and will be available throughout the 2010 NFL season. “DISH Network Team Pick’em” allows fans to pick a winner for every NFL game in a given week.

For more hardcore fans, “SnapDraft on DISH Network” delves deeper into the strategy behind the game by giving players the opportunity to graft new teams every week using salary caps.

Both of these new games are powered by Fanball, a recognized provider of fantasy sports products and contests.

Every week of the 2010 season, DISH Network will award $500 to the player that has earned the most points in each competition. When the 2010 NFL season comes to an end, the winners of both games will each win $20,000; players in second and third places will each receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.

Each of those prizes would certainly pay any subscriber’s DISH Network bill well into a number of future NFL seasons.

The newly-added NFL RedZone channel will be offered up for a free test drive on Sunday, October 4th. DISH Network subscribers who are into football and have not had a chance to check out RedZone and see if it is something worth paying for. That, of course, is up to each individual fan, but it’s likely that DISH will pick up a few new subscribers to the channel after the free preview.

Ira Bahr, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network has said that “Over the past few weeks, our customers have told us their Sunday afternoons have changed forever.” That’s a pretty bold statement, but apparently DISH has been receiving a lot of positive feedback regarding the new channel, which packs the most exciting moments from multiple NFL games on one channel by switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a opportunity to check out every important play.

The NFL RedZone free preview starts at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time and runs until 4:14 p.m. on DISH Network channel 155. The channel is available in both high and standard definition and will cost fans who decide to sign on an additional $5.99 per month. Not a bad deal if you are a serious football fan.

I guess I’ve said more than once that I’m not a sports fan, but this development announced by DISH Network should certainly be of interest to football fans.

The NFL RedZone channel starts broadcasting on September 13th and sounds pretty much like a football fanatics dream come true. It is described as follows:

“NFL RedZone, produced by NFL Network, whips around every NFL game on Sunday afternoons delivering touchdowns and the most exciting moments live and in high definition. When a team goes inside the 20-yard line, known as the "red zone," fans see the crucial plays as they happen. The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see every important play.”

It sounds like the perfect content for the football fan who likes to follow more than one game at a time.

The new channel will be available on DISH Network in both standard and high definition and is part of the Multi-Sport Package, which is said to be available for the majority of DISH Network subscribers for $5.99 a month.