DirecTV & NFL Extend Exclusive Sunday Ticket Through 2014

[cb35]

Directv is paying $1BIL/yr starting in 2011. In theory, our package should not increase until the 2011 season. Directv must be getting a piece of the Red Zone subs it sells to other carriers - this is good news for Directv subs since they need to generate more revenue streams to make up the extra $300 MIL they are paying per year. Maybe Directv customers package price will stay the same or be reduced? D* would be smart to offer a "lock" rate to retain customers.

I'm concerned over the broadband issue - too easy to be exploited - will they have the servers available to handle the load? They usually have glitches in Week 1 and 2 with just D* customers - if they open the flood gates - it could be a disaster.

Yes NFL on a per game basis is more expensive than the other packages - but those baseball games in July mean nothing and the players know it. In the NFL there are so few games - each game means something until maybe week 16 and 17 for the really good teams. Sunday afternoons are an event for NFL fans - its the best thing going in sports (NCAA tournament is a close 2nd)

 

[alebowgm]

I wonder if they even approached Dish Network about getting back into bed for NFLST or not...

 

[Big Dawg 23]

I wonder if they even approached Dish Network about getting back into bed for NFLST or not...

I am pretty sure I read some where that Directv had exclusive negotiating rights through 2009 previous to this announcement. Prior to Nov. 1 last year I had Charter. I continued to hope that NFLST would head to cable. Saw the agreement didn't expire until 2010 and was sure exclusive negotitating rights prior to expiration of current agreement.

If they allowed this on Cable you can be sure Comcast will charge an arm, leg and first born to purchase it on there system.

 

[Ronnie-]

Disagree. This is a contractual agreement between two parties. Both of which wish to profit from those who choose to pay for a service that they do NOT need. If Direct charges too much, they will lose subs. They had to know the optimum price that they can pay for exclusive rights to where it will not hurt their profit margin too much. No reason for the government to step in as the market will limit what can be done and how much they will make.

I agree.

 

[dlma1]

All I can say is "Damn"! I guess I am stuck having to be a two provider household since I like Sunday Ticket but hate the rest of D*. And I agree with some previous posters that IMHO that there are still antitrust concerns. But I'm sure D*'s PAC makes the right contributions to the correct senators and congressmen to ensure that the laws are never changed.

 

[satjay]

I wonder if they even approached Dish Network about getting back into bed for NFLST or not...

I will take a guess and say no...If anything I think this new deal cements the whole Sports/Directv Movies/Dishnetwork comaprarison

Though this made me think for a brief moment, and I guess I will have more info for my thoughts as future prices come out.

Do you think that there is such a thing as getting to big? I mean 1 billion per year, for a sat company, Just some thought thats all could be a whole nother Thread?

 

[JosephB]

I'm willing to bet the broadband thing will be available to anyone who wants to subscribe. The logistics of trying to figure out if a particular address is serviceable by DirecTV or not just wouldn't be worth it. They worded it the way they did to try to get people to sign up for DirecTV, but since it's on your computer, and they'll probably use some proprietary player so you can't use a broadband video device like a dish network receiver, they won't really care too much.

 

[BlackHitachi]

Can't wait to see how much D* will be charging now.

I honestly don't think they would have to raise the price. If they have a few hundred thousand and the price is 300 per sub it's paid for. This is not counting TV and super fan etc, etc.

 

[joed32]

I'm willing to bet the broadband thing will be available to anyone who wants to subscribe. The logistics of trying to figure out if a particular address is serviceable by DirecTV or not just wouldn't be worth it. They worded it the way they did to try to get people to sign up for DirecTV, but since it's on your computer, and they'll probably use some proprietary player so you can't use a broadband video device like a dish network receiver, they won't really care too much.

I think you're right, as long as someone pays for it, why would they care.

 

[Rey]

I honestly don't think they would have to raise the price. If they have a few hundred thousand and the price is 300 per sub it's paid for. This is not counting TV and super fan etc, etc.

i hope you're right!! someone earlier made a good point that the new contract begins in 2011 so they really have no reason to increase the price for now.

 

[satjay]

Dont know if Directv is doing the broadband thing becouse of this, but remember the last time MLB extra innings was going to do the new contract thing, and at one point it was going to be exclusive, many people complained, even some in congress that they would not be able to see it becouse they could not get directv for various reasons?

 

[Rey]

Dont know if Directv is doing the broadband thing becouse of this, but remember the last time MLB extra innings was going to do the new contract thing, and at one point it was going to be exclusive, many people complained, even some in congress that they would not be able to see it becouse they could not get directv for various reasons?

sounds like a good reason to me.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Humm...Sunday Ticket available on broadband, so if I am reading this right, Dish/Cable folks will one day be able to access via broadband??

This could be interesting.... D* pays big bucks for an "exclusive", but lets anyone with a broadband connection have access.... Once we get decent looking broadband that we can view in a browser, the barriers start falling....

I don't know if Hulu.com and other viewing sites would look good on a 92" projector image, but for those that REALLY don't want to switch to D*, this could be an option...

 

[uncrules]

Dont know if Directv is doing the broadband thing becouse of this, but remember the last time MLB extra innings was going to do the new contract thing, and at one point it was going to be exclusive, many people complained, even some in congress that they would not be able to see it becouse they could not get directv for various reasons?

There are a couple of differences between the MLB and NFL situations. 1) MLB EI was available on other providers already so making it exclusive would be taking something away from people that they already had. The NFL ST has always been exclusive. 2) MLB has an antitrust exemption grant to it by Congress. So Congress threatened to take that exemption away. The NFL doesn't have any such exemption so Congress doesn't have that particular form of leverage over the NFL.

 

[Skyboss]

I wonder if Broadband will include say... AT&T U-Verse????

 

[JamesJ]

Wow thats some BIG dollars, this year people already had a choice to pay sunday ticket over ten months I think, so cost should stay they same this year, but future years??

I read this, but this is my first year paying for it, how do I spread it out over ten months? I woudl LOVE to do this, thanks.

 

[Ronnie-]

I read this, but this is my first year paying for it, how do I spread it out over ten months? I woudl LOVE to do this, thanks.

I thought five was the max. I do not know for sure though. That is simply the longest I have heard

 

[Rey]

I thought five was the max. I do not know for sure though. That is simply the longest I have heard

i saw the offer a few weeks ago on their site for 10 weeks. i know it gives greater flexibility but lower the price!

 

[TomCat4680]

i told you guys DirecTV would NEVER give up their exclusive contract for NFLST. That'd be like KFC selling the secret recipe. Its their flagship product and they're going to have exclusitivity for several more decades.

 

[Ronnie-]

Did anyone really think that they would?