DIRECTV unlikely to keep NFL Sunday Ticket

[Bruce]

I don't mind if Amazon ends up with it ... as long as thats not the Only way to get the ST.

Every article written about NFLST going to a new exclusive home ( Amazon for example), there has not been one mention about other providers sharing it.

I'm curious, I just went thru the Amazon channels (if you want to call them that) now, Yes, they have the MLB games listed ... so if I want to watch the Red Sox or the Astros game tonight, I can just click on that game and it will be there to watch ?
I DON'T think so ...

It is part of the MLB Package for those who want to watch other games instead of their home team, MLB sells it, Amazon, even DirecTV sells it.

Amazon is not a Live TV service, it is not fair to compare them as such.

Now if you wish to compare YTTV to DirecTV, that would be fair, but that is not what this thread is about.

 

[Bruce]

I do agree with what you say, tho I hang with a very mixed age of people, many in the 20-40s they dont even pay for tv, and they sure dont have money thats for sure....!
Things are a lot different now than it was 40 to 50 years ago

It has nothing to do with younger folks having or not having money, it is just how they grew up on Netflix, You Tube and the likes, they just do not feel like they need to pay for Live TV when they have Netflix.

I grew up having Cable ( I am 54), so it has been hard for me to give up Live TV ( have YTTV) because I am used to it, but the vast majority of what we watch is via the Streaming Services.

My kids are 31 and 26 and all they watch are the streaming stuff, because that is how they grew up, and they have the money to pay for Live TV, they just do not have a need for it.

 

[Jimbo]

What is so different about checking out what Streaming Service has what movie then trying to find a certain movie on HBO, Showtime, Epix, Starz, etc.

I think Streaming is easier, for example-
HBO MAX-all the Warner titles.
Peacock-soon all the Universal titles ( new Universal Movies are leaving HBO next year).
Paramount Plus-think you can figure that out
Disney Plus-duh’
Hulu-some Disney and soon 20th Century Fox ( new 20th Century Fox Movies are leaving HBO next year)
All that is left is Sony ( Starz), MGM (Amazon is buying them) and Lionsgate.


The world is changing, what can you do but adapt, streaming is not that hard, my wife has memory issues because of Parkinson’s, yet she figured out the Roku with ease, if she wants Live TV, she hits the YTTV app, mostly she is on the Discovery+ app because of Food Network programming, she knows how to navigate on it to find what she wishes to watch.

So, if I want to watch Top Gun ... just off the top of my head, I have to figure out WHO produced it, then find out what service they might be with, if not more than one ...
And eventually find that it MIGHT be on a service I have, maybe not.

Much easier doing a search and find it on a channel that I have on my current platform.

 

[Jimbo]

Every article written about NFLST going to a new exclusive home ( Amazon for example), there has not been one mention about other providers sharing it.

It is part of the MLB Package for those who want to watch other games instead of their home team, MLB sells it, Amazon, even DirecTV sells it.

Amazon is not a Live TV service, it is not fair to compare them as such.

Now if you wish to compare YTTV to DirecTV, that would be fair, but that is not what this thread is about.

Why would I compare it to YTTV, thats not the one in question here.

You just proved the point thet D* is much more than Amazon.

 

[Jimbo]

I tried to watch the Toledo Rockets football game today, it was on espn3, I couldn't get it where I was, should have, its a streaming channel.
I could watch it at home as it is part of my Verizon package I believe, but no, I can't stream it out of the house.

Streaming SUCKS.

 

[Bruce]

So, if I want to watch Top Gun ... just off the top of my head, I have to figure out WHO produced it, then find out what service they might be with, if not more than one ...
And eventually find that it MIGHT be on a service I have, maybe not.

Much easier doing a search and find it on a channel that I have on my current platform.

Top Gun is on Hulu, took a second to find using google.

 

[Radioguy41]

You just proved the point thet D* is much more than Amazon.

Not accurate. Can you get Acorn or Britbox thru D*? How about Discovery+? How about IMDBtv? Best TV Ever? Best Westerns Ever? Broadway HD? and dozens and dozens more. Nah, D* has more live TV and lots more religious and hawking channels but frankly Prime blows them out of the water when it comes to watchable content. Prime has tons of original programming, D* has none. Prime offers free many recent movies. Prime offers numerous free baseball games (gotta pay extra on D*), free Yankees games in my area, and right now one free baseball game every day. D* comes as a base package and if you want more you pay for upgrades, Prime is no different. This isn't even close, D* is the Mediterranean, Prime is the Pacific Ocean. In other words D* is a drop in the ocean and oh by the way, Prime is growing in leaps and bounds while D* is slowly shrinking away.

 

[comp9]

I tried to watch the Toledo Rockets football game today, it was on espn3, I couldn't get it where I was, should have, its a streaming channel.
I could watch it at home as it is part of my Verizon package I believe, but no, I can't stream it out of the house.

Streaming SUCKS.

Should have logged into the ESPN app with your directv credentials. Could have watched it fine

 

[SamCdbs]

ESPN streaming, in a box:

Linear ESPN channels can be streamed with the credential from you content provider (cable co, DirecTV, etc.)

ESPN+ is extra content you pay for and can stream with an account with Disney.

ESPN3, which predates, ESPN+ is also extra content that is "free" to the consumer, IF the ISP it is being streamed on has paid Disney for it. If you cannot get E3 content to stream, it is because the ISP you are on, or the cell phone company if you are mobile, has not.

 

[dtv757]

ESPN streaming, in a box:

Linear ESPN channels can be streamed with the credential from you content provider (cable co, DirecTV, etc.)

ESPN+ is extra content you pay for and can stream with an account with Disney.

ESPN3, which predates, ESPN+ is also extra content that is "free" to the consumer, IF the ISP it is being streamed on has paid Disney for it. If you cannot get E3 content to stream, it is because the ISP you are on, or the cell phone company if you are mobile, has not.

I thought espn 3 was tied to the TV provider



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Juan]

I do agree with what you say, tho I hang with a very mixed age of people, many in the 20-40s they dont even pay for tv, and they sure dont have money thats for sure....!
Things are a lot different now than it was 40 to 50 years

So, if I want to watch Top Gun ... just off the top of my head, I have to figure out WHO produced it, then find out what service they might be with, if not more than one ...
And eventually find that it MIGHT be on a service I have, maybe not.

Much easier doing a search and find it on a channel that I have on my current platform.

Uhh no
You just google the top gun and it will tell you what platforms carry it

 

[Bruce]

Uhh no
You just google the top gun and it will tell you what platforms carry it

duh’

 

[slice1900]

Actually, if it went to Amazon (streaming only), that is a improvement because of the larger customer base to get subscribers for the NFLST, have read there are 147 million Prime members in the U.S.

That is a lot better then the 13 million DirecTV has and from that only 2 million subscribe to it, also every article that I have read that states 2 million does not separate how many pay vs how many get it for free.

If your argument was true then the NFL would never consider going with Apple TV+ because they have a fraction of the subscribers Amazon Prime does.

In reality though your claim is ridiculous - there would just as many NFLST subscribers if it was on Apple TV+ as there would be if it was on Amazon Prime despite having so many fewer subscribers. Just like hardcore NFL fans today subscribe to Directv to be able to get NFLST, tomorrow they would subscribe to Amazon Prime or Apple TV+ - at least for the months September - December. It would save them a bit of money if it was on a service they already had, but if they're willing to pay $300 for NFLST they aren't going to balk at having to spend an extra $5 or $10 per month every fall to get the service that allows them to subscribe to NFLST.

While Directv costs a lot more and doesn't allow subscribing for just a few months, the kind of hardcore sports fan that wants NFLST considers cable/satellite (or equivalent service like Sling TV) a MUST HAVE. There are tons of live sports that are simply not available via streaming. There's little difference between the services, Directv may be a bit more expensive than some but not enough to dissuade someone willing to spend $300 for out of market NFL games. So I just don't buy that there's a huge pool of potential NFLST subscribers out there for the NFL to find. Most people who want it, have it.

The only gotcha is that neither option is available everywhere. Some people can't get Directv where they live, and some people can't get internet good enough to do live streaming where they live - or are older and less technically adept and would simply feel it is beyond them. Whichever way they go, if the NFL does an exclusive they are going to keep some potential customers away.

 

[slice1900]

Every article written about NFLST going to a new exclusive home ( Amazon for example), there has not been one mention about other providers sharing it.

That's irrelevant. They aren't basing those articles on having talked to the people in the NFL making these decisions. They're just assuming that because that's how it was done before, that's how it will continue to be done.

I don't think we can assume that. Or assume that if someone does get an "exclusive" that they won't get a contract that allows them to resell the service. i.e. Amazon gets it and sublicenses it to cable/satellite providers. There are already so many Amazon Prime subscribers that NFLST is not going to drive additional NFLST subscriptions, so that sort of thing might make sense for them.

If, however, Apple got the exclusive they wouldn't want to sublicense it because they have far fewer subscribers and could use it like Directv does to make a meaningful addition to their subscriber base (assuming they became year round subscribers and didn't sign up in September and cancel in January)

 

[Bruce]

If your argument was true then the NFL would never consider going with Apple TV+ because they have a fraction of the subscribers Amazon Prime does.

Again, the NFL does not care, have you heard them complain that there are only 2 million subscribers on DirecTV, nope, they only care about the guaranteed money, that is how they have always been in any TV deal.

And the only reason Apple has come up is the NFL is using them vs Amazon to get a better deal.

 

[Jimbo]

Top Gun is on Hulu, took a second to find using google.

Yup, but I don't have Hulu, now what ?
Many time it will say the show is on multiple apps, you go to it and it says, you need to PAY, even though you have the sub to the App ... Amazon is one that does that often.
I would have to pay Amazon, even thou I am a Prime member to watch said show.
Why would I already pay for the su7b and then find out I need to pay again to watch said show.

 

[Jimbo]

Top Gun is on Hulu, took a second to find using google.

WRONG ANSWER ....
I Do have Hulu, I went to it and did a search for Top Gun ...
It says, Your subscription doesn't include STARZ ...

So, its NOT on Hulu, but I would have gone to Hulu and wasted time trying to find it.

 

[Jimbo]

Not accurate. Can you get Acorn or Britbox thru D*? How about Discovery+? How about IMDBtv? Best TV Ever? Best Westerns Ever? Broadway HD? and dozens and dozens more. Nah, D* has more live TV and lots more religious and hawking channels but frankly Prime blows them out of the water when it comes to watchable content. Prime has tons of original programming, D* has none. Prime offers free many recent movies. Prime offers numerous free baseball games (gotta pay extra on D*), free Yankees games in my area, and right now one free baseball game every day. D* comes as a base package and if you want more you pay for upgrades, Prime is no different. This isn't even close, D* is the Mediterranean, Prime is the Pacific Ocean. In other words D* is a drop in the ocean and oh by the way, Prime is growing in leaps and bounds while D* is slowly shrinking away.

Of course ... D* is NOT designed to be an app, its a TV platform, not a streaming platform.

If I want to watch my College Football games or my NFL games (My Teams, not just Any game), its not available on PRIME either ...
they are Apples and Oranges ... as is every other streaming service out there.

They are looking at 2 entirely different type of viewers, you guys expect everyone to conform to Your streaming and it just doesn't work that way.

 

[Jimbo]

Should have logged into the ESPN app with your directv credentials. Could have watched it fine

I did.

 

[Jimbo]

ESPN streaming, in a box:

Linear ESPN channels can be streamed with the credential from you content provider (cable co, DirecTV, etc.)

ESPN+ is extra content you pay for and can stream with an account with Disney.

ESPN3, which predates, ESPN+ is also extra content that is "free" to the consumer, IF the ISP it is being streamed on has paid Disney for it. If you cannot get E3 content to stream, it is because the ISP you are on, or the cell phone company if you are mobile, has not.

I'm gonna have to look into this, because I have the Disney package thru Verizon (part of the plan) maybe they don't have them all activated, they have Disney and ESPN+ I think it was and Hulu I think (I'd have to look to be sure)