The CBS blackout on Time Warner Cable could be ended by an event that’s coming up soon. Writing in The New York Times, Bill Carter says the end of the blackout could be triggered by the Sept. 8 start of the National Football League season.

That means Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and other markets would have three more weeks without CBS programming, the piece notes.

"I really think these guys are going to need the NFL to add a sense of urgency to this,” RBC Capital Markets analyst David Bank told Carter.

Carter adds, "Neither side in the standoff has mentioned any progress over the last several days. Both have continued to level charges and accusations of blame for Time Warner Cable’s decision to remove CBS’s stations in areas the cable company covers, which include subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas."

One reason the kickoff of the NFL season may spark a deal is because customers could become more vocal at at that point, providing more leverage to CBS in the negotiations, the story points out.