Senate Panel Calls Hearing on DirecTV's Sunday Ticket Package

[George_T]

Uh, didn't D*, E* and the cable networks have a chance to bid on the exclusivity package for NFL Sunday Ticket and D* was the winner? Seems like a bunch of whiners to me.

And, D* doesn't have a chance to bid a reasonable price to get carriage for Comcrap Philly. Talk about a monopoly -- that's cable, especially Comcrap!

 

[lou_do]

Uh, didn't D*, E* and the cable networks have a chance to bid on the exclusivity package for NFL Sunday Ticket and D* was the winner? Seems like a bunch of whiners to me.

And, D* doesn't have a chance to bid a reasonable price to get carriage for Comcrap Philly. Talk about a monopoly -- that's cable, especially Comcrap!

All programing should be available to all program providers.

 

[splat10]

All programing should be available to all program providers.

the NFL owns the distribution of it's product. They can do with it as they choose. See previous post. You choose cable or Dish and want ST, tough *Bleep*. You want to watch phily sports but choose dish, tough *bleep*. That's the free market and what make the USA the USA. You want to take your stand move to china

 

[lou_do]

the NFL owns the distribution of it's product. They can do with it as they choose. See previous post. You choose cable or Dish and want ST, tough *Bleep*. You want to watch phily sports but choose dish, tough *bleep*. That's the free market and what make the USA the USA. You want to take your stand move to china

Your point is exactly why it is so over priced, compared to the other sports packages. I am a die hard D* subscriber and like their service, but seeing the price jump up so much over the last few years has aggravated me to the point where I no longer subscribe to ST. For 6 hours a week for 17 weeks, it just isn't worth the money. I get a lot better value from the hockey and baseball packages.

If there was competition I am sure it would be more reasonably priced.

 

[splat10]

Your point is exactly why it is so over priced, compared to the other sports packages. I am a die hard D* subscriber and like their service, but seeing the price jump up so much over the last few years has aggravated me to the point where I no longer subscribe to ST. For 6 hours a week for 17 weeks, it just isn't worth the money. I get a lot better value from the hockey and baseball packages.

If there was competition I am sure it would be more reasonably priced.

you know what i completely agree with you. I was just pointing out why it is what it is (maybe a little harsh but...) Do i think that the govt should force the NFL to allow dish or cable to sell a sunday ticket? No way. There's too much govt control of stuff already. D* will price the package at a rate they think will return the most $$$ . If it gets too high ppl will stop paying like you. there's a peak price to deliver peak $$$ even if it isn't peak subscribers. It sucks but that's life

 

[dishcomm]

All programing should be available to all program providers.

Available?...In your terms, under what conditions??..
Look, this is a business like any other for profit business....The services you seek will be braodcast by thowse providers willing to pay for them...And only if those resepctive companies determine if the economics are to their advantage....this is how programming is distributed....There is no welfare system..And thankfully no govt interference......
I think we've beaten this to death...Look, in 2010 all providers will again have the opportunity to bid on the ST package..May the best company win...

 

[splat10]

I think we've beaten this to death...Look, in 2010 all providers will again have the opportunity to bid on the ST package..May the best company win...

or maybe the NFL will re-evaluate the economics of the single provider contract. That has got to be a complex issue and i couldn't even begin to comtemplate it.

 

[dishcomm]

Your point is exactly why it is so over priced, compared to the other sports packages. I am a die hard D* subscriber and like their service, but seeing the price jump up so much over the last few years has aggravated me to the point where I no longer subscribe to ST. For 6 hours a week for 17 weeks, it just isn't worth the money. I get a lot better value from the hockey and baseball packages.

If there was competition I am sure it would be more reasonably priced.

There is competition...The bidding process decides the rate...The NFL is THE most desired sports property...It is a winner for every network that carries it..That's why the money paid to the NFL has reached starospheric levels....
Once again, if the ST was as you say "overpriced", no one would buy it...Obviously the package has the value to encourage the present number of buys....

 

[cablewithaview]

The Senate has far bigger problems... Especially turning communist.... I mean democrat... they have plenty on their minds.

:haha

 

[billybill]

The reason why Sunday Ticket is priced more than the other sport packages is because it is the NFL package. The other sports would love to be able to charge that much money for their packages. They can't because people don't want it. It has little if anything to do with who or who does not carry it.

 

[cablewithaview]

The reason why Sunday Ticket is priced more than the other sport packages is because it is the NFL package. The other sports would love to be able to charge that much money for their packages. They can't because people don't want it. It has little if anything to do with who or who does not carry it.

The reason it is so high is because DirecTV bid on it so high to keep other from even touching it. It has nothing to do with "is because it is the NFL package". DirecTV did not want anyone else touching the package and was proud to have it exclusively. They didn't want cable or Dish bidding on it and winning it and take it from them. Hell, Canadians pay less then $100 U.S. dollars for it a season. Now that sucks, DirecTV mishandling the bid process causes the rates to be so high. Now I understand why the NFL Network has such a chip on it's shoulder.

 

[mdonnelly]

... Hell, Canadians pay less then $100 U.S. dollars for it a season. ...

Understandable, since Canada doesn't have any NFL teams.

 

[cablewithaview]

Understandable, since Canada doesn't have any NFL teams.

But still it doesn't take away from the bidding process here.

 

[Greg Bimson]

But what does the bidding process matter?

The reason it is so high is because DirecTV bid on it so high to keep other from even touching it. It has nothing to do with "is because it is the NFL package". DirecTV did not want anyone else touching the package and was proud to have it exclusively.

FOX, CBS, NBC, ESPN and the NFL Network all have their version of an exclusive. Yet there is some problem with DirecTV's?

The reason the price is so high is because of supply and demand. If the NFL had to open up Sunday Ticket just like the NHL, NBA and MLB have opened up their out-of-market packages, the NFL would not make the $700 million a year from the guaranteed exclusivity they've received from DirecTV.

 

[boston area dtv]

The reason it is so high is because DirecTV bid on it so high to keep other from even touching it. It has nothing to do with "is because it is the NFL package". DirecTV did not want anyone else touching the package and was proud to have it exclusively. They didn't want cable or Dish bidding on it and winning it and take it from them. Hell, Canadians pay less then $100 U.S. dollars for it a season. Now that sucks, DirecTV mishandling the bid process causes the rates to be so high. Now I understand why the NFL Network has such a chip on it's shoulder.

Its pretty simple. Its called supply and demand economics 101. D* bid so high because demand for it by subscribers is so high. If people such as myself werent willing to pay for it then D* would have been forced to bid a lesser amount.

 

[cablewithaview]

I understand the "Supply and demand" but DirecTV has even admitted to bidding so high on it to keep other providers from touching it. If the previous contract called said for $40 million dollars and when the term of that contract expired and 4 other providers wanted to bid and for the hell of it DirecTV throws out $120 million, I would not call that supply and demand, I would call it out right stupid, especially when they could have gone trough the bid process and may have gotten it at $65 million and keep the cost of the package down. I wouldn't be surprised if the NFL package subs have actually dropped instead of increase. I wouldn't pay that to watch football or any other sporting event for that matter. More important things then to pay overpriced players.

Note, just throwing figures out as examples only.

 

[Greg Bimson]

If the previous contract called said for $40 million dollars and when the term of that contract expired and 4 other providers wanted to bid and for the hell of it DirecTV throws out $120 million, I would not call that supply and demand, I would call it out right stupid, especially when they could have gone trough the bid process and may have gotten it at $65 million and keep the cost of the package down.

Think back to 1993. CBS tried this with the NFC package. Come 1994, the NFC package was on FOX.

Let's not delude ourselves here. The NFL goes into every contract (re)negotiation expecting a 77 percent hike in their fees. The Sunday Ticket contract with DirecTV allowed the NFL to shop Sunday Ticket to cable starting in 2006. DirecTV certainly wanted no part of that.

So, the NFL had the prime opportunity to extract more money out of DirecTV. Of course, the NFL agreed to a modification of the contract, to allow exclusivity of Sunday Ticket on DirecTV until 2010, in exchange for only a 75 percent mark up.

 

[cybrsurfer]

All carriers should be allowed to carry ST.

All carriers (DirecTV/Dishnetwork/Comcast) should be allowed to carry programming. The NFL would make much more revenues by opening the doors to all. Viewership would be much higher, and it would drive the cost to have ST down tremendously by not restricting it to one company.

 

[Jamey K]

The Senate has far bigger problems... Especially turning communist.... I mean democrat... they have plenty on their minds.

Good Grief. Someone just crawled out of their 1950's fallout shelter. Last I heard the only communists left were in China and few in Cuba.

Speaking of which, any bets on how long after Castro dies that Americans will be taking up space on the beaches and in the hotels?

One would hope that more carriers for Sunday Ticket would translate to lower subscription prices.

 

[Greg Bimson]

All carriers (DirecTV/Dishnetwork/Comcast) should be allowed to carry programming. The NFL would make much more revenues by opening the doors to all. Viewership would be much higher, and it would drive the cost to have ST down tremendously by not restricting it to one company.

Please explain. You appear to be way smarter than the NFL, so we would like to understand your position. Maybe the NFL should hire you if you are correct.