OT NFL considering ending DTV Sunday Ticket
- Thread starter LadyStanley
- Start date
Big McLargehuge
Fragile Traveler
Sunday Ticket is probably behind only concussions in terms of expediting my exit from NFL fandom, so good riddance.
I've never lived in a building where DirecTV was an option as an adult, either because of geography or it being in the lease...though even if I did, Sunday Ticket needs to slash it's cost by about 2/3 for it to make any sense for someone who only wants to watch one team and isn't' a fantasy junkie watching every single game...which is apparently the only kind of fan the NFL cares about.
I've never lived in a building where DirecTV was an option as an adult, either because of geography or it being in the lease...though even if I did, Sunday Ticket needs to slash it's cost by about 2/3 for it to make any sense for someone who only wants to watch one team and isn't' a fantasy junkie watching every single game...which is apparently the only kind of fan the NFL cares about.
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IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
Boeser Fan
Registered User
- Jun 23, 2018
- 492
- 531
Naw can't beat watching real games to know things about the defences and o-line.
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IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
It you're watching for personal research purposes, you're way better off with NFL Game Pass, so you can watch the games in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the price.
Sundays are about results, and you can't watch 8 games at once anyway, so RedZone is a far better option for the money.
tony d
Registered User
We haven't had Sunday Ticket with our cable for a couple yrs. now. To have it part of our cable package now it would cost us $200 a year which is way to much. I get streaming is the way of the future but you should keep Sunday Ticket as well for those who would only want cable.
I've never understood the cost/benefit of it. It seems far too expensive to justify watching your "out of market" team the maximum 12-13 times they aren't on as the Thursday night, national game, Sunday night, or Monday night game.
And I buy Center Ice and MLB Extra Innings for DirecTV. Comparison wise, I pay about $2 a game to watch the Rangers, and maybe 50 cents each to watch the Yankees and Cubs. As opposed to close to $20/game to watch the Giants. That's insane.
Red Zone was created in 2009 mainly to protect DirecTV's monopoly and get cable companies to carry NFL Network.
Going forward streaming is the wave of the future especially with the availability of inexpensive smart TV's - but the lag time is still an issue though buffering problems now are minimal. Streaming still isn't a viable option for sports bars as you can have a game on multiple TV's and each of them process the signal separately.
DirecTV was/is ruthless with commercial accounts but bar owners had to pay it. Philadelphia the bar owners are killed as they need cable to get the local Philly teams but also had to get DirecTV for Sunday Ticket.
46zone
Pass me the soft pretzels
I get this point of view, but there are some issues with RedZone. For one, they tend to linger on games that are not close or not of interest (matchups between two bad teams), and if you watch it enough you pick up on subtle hints from the host when a big play is coming.
Though, if you're big into fantasy or gambling, I can see why people like it.
IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
Oh, RedZone is faaaaar from perfect. It's very easy to predict what is coming and is often several minutes behind, so I'd get a Yahoo! Fantasy alert on a touchdown and wait forever to see it. I got extra annoyed in week 16 when they only focused 3 or 4 games with playoff implications - it's Fantasy Championship Sunday, know your audience!
But for the price, it's way better than dropping $300 on Sunday Ticket.
But for the price, it's way better than dropping $300 on Sunday Ticket.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
1) because most people are not calculating it on a per-game basis.
2) I know a few people with Direct Tv and who pay for the Sunday Ticket. All are out-of-market fans, but they also watch games of other teams. There was some deal for a long-time where they were grandfathered in for the lower pricing. They will watch their favorite team when they are on, and then in the other time slot will flip around different games. They could use redzone for that, but they don't like it. I find redzone to be a bit annoying, I would rather watch a full game.
3) I think the bulk of the customer base for the sunday ticket are the sports bars, and they likely pay a higher fee.
I used to work with a woman who had worked for Direct TV. She said the amount they pay the NFL was huge and the competitors wouldn't match. Considering how much she was paid at the job with me, I can't imagine she had a job at DirectTV high up enough where she would be privied to that info,but that is a different argument.
I am wondering if DirectTv is not willing to pay the huge price. It is not too hard to find whatever game you want for free online. The 20-35 age range certainly knows how to do so. NFL probably realizes they can't stop that and they need to make adjustments. I am thinking the subscriptions have to be taking a hit. I am not a big fan of the redzone, but I know I am in the minority. Then figure in the free ways to get games. Can't be good for DirectTv's bottom line.
I am wondering if DirectTv is not willing to pay the huge price. It is not too hard to find whatever game you want for free online. The 20-35 age range certainly knows how to do so. NFL probably realizes they can't stop that and they need to make adjustments. I am thinking the subscriptions have to be taking a hit. I am not a big fan of the redzone, but I know I am in the minority. Then figure in the free ways to get games. Can't be good for DirectTv's bottom line.
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I had listened to something not too long ago about what DirecTV pays the NFL for Sunday Ticket. The number is insane. It's north of $1 BILLION a year. That said, DirecTV also has a number just higher than that, that they know they can't go higher than. DTV doesn't make that much on Sunday Ticket, if anything really. They used it as a marketing gimmick. They used to give a season for free just for signing up for DTV service. They'd make the cost back over time with the $100 a month subscribers, and banking on the football fans coming back and paying for Sunday Ticket. Now, with all the cord cutting, subscriptions stagnating, and other ways to watch the games, I can't see them justifying the expense any more.
Goodell knows this. I'm sure he's concerned about the NFL's loss of a huge piece of revenue (which is shared), and is very interested in shoring up that revenue stream.
