WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission has sided with the National Football League in a long-running programming dispute with Comcast Corp., ruling that Comcast should carry the league's NFL Network on its popular digital cable package.

In a decision released late Friday, the FCC ruled that Comcast discriminated against the NFL Network by agreeing to carry the channel only on a more expensive sports cable service. The NFL filed the complaint against Comcast in May.

The FCC ruling now goes before an administrative law judge, who could force Comcast to carry the NFL programming at a certain price.

“We are pleased with today's FCC ruling and appreciate the commissioners' attention to our complaint,” the NFL Network said in a statement. “NFL cable viewers could soon be the real winners.”

Comcast has argued that consumers will have to pay more for programming many may not want if the company is forced to include the NFL Network in its regular digital cable package.

In a statement, the company said its “programming decisions are in the best interest of our consumers and consistent with the law,” adding that “forcing these networks onto our cable systems will cost consumers millions of dollars and cause cable prices to rise.”