# When is NFL-Sunday Ticket contract up?



## jjohns (Sep 15, 2007)

Anyone know how long the negotiated DirecTV – NFL Sunday ticket package is this time around? I mean, what year does the agreement end? I’m a long time D* customer and getting really tired of not only all the “upgrades” bringing new bugs, but also watching brand new customers get these really nice price-cut perks while D* does nothing for their longtime customers. If in some way when the Sunday Ticket package deal is up, it is offered through some other vehicle, I’m gone.


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

It ends in 2011 but I would not expect it to be going any where but I guess we will have to wait and see.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

yep the 2010 season is the last under current contract.


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## sean10780 (Oct 16, 2007)

hmm this is the same year, that the NFL agreement is up on the salary cap season as well.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

dcowboy7 said:


> yep the 2010 season is the last under current contract.


Don't expect the NFL to go elsewhere with the Sunday Ticket. Both parties are happy with the way things are/

NFL Sunday Ticket is Directv's number one claim to fame, and They will fight like heck to keep it.


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## schlar01 (Jul 16, 2007)

The scary part is that D* knows it has to keep the package exclusively or they will lose customers. That means they will mid even more and prices will go even higher. They will probably end up pricing a lot of people out of the market. The price is already closing in on $400 if you want it in HD and can't negotiate a better price.

These exclusive deals are bad for everyone.


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## Koz (Sep 16, 2006)

But the NFL also likes the deal. In reality, they want three things. 1) The most money. 2) Nationwide availability. 3) The fewest people to actually get it. With Directv, they get all three. Cable could give them #1, but not 2 (unless they gave it to all cable companies) or 3 (since so many people get cable). 

Unless Dish gets into a bidding war with Directv or Congress steps in, I wouldn't worry too much about Directv losing it.


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## rey_1178 (Dec 12, 2007)

That's fine but we don't need the price going any higher. it's already expensive enough


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## deweybroncos (Jun 15, 2007)

From Wikpedia:"Currently, DIRECTV has an exclusive deal with the NFL, making them the sole provider of NFL Sunday Ticket in the United States until the contract expires in 2010. [1] Prior to the NFL's latest television deal, other satellite and cable providers were allowed to bid on the rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket if they agreed to carry the NFL Network. However, DIRECTV still won exclusivity for the package, bidding over $700 million a year to do so."

They bid 3.5 billion for the current deal back in 2004. I wonder what it will cost them to retain it solely. It really is their exclusive cornerstone and the reason I got got Directv in the first place. I don't think Dish could outbid them, but with the NFL's NFL network and the live games there now maybe the NFL will try to pit the cable companies against Directv. It really is a business, and in the end the fans will pay!


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## meStevo (Jul 23, 2007)

The NFL won't get more money than they will from DirecTV, and Cable isn't going to come together and form a single entity to outbid them. DBS providers have the biggest reach as a single party to get programming to the consumer.

Just because there's only 1 provider doesn't mean the grass will be greener. Thanks to DirecTV having it for this long we get to benefit via things like Supercast... NFL isn't putting money into developing things like that, DirecTV is.


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## Azalo (Oct 24, 2006)

meStevo said:


> The NFL won't get more money than they will from DirecTV, and Cable isn't going to come together and form a single entity to outbid them. DBS providers have the biggest reach as a single party to get programming to the consumer.
> 
> Just because there's only 1 provider doesn't mean the grass will be greener. Thanks to DirecTV having it for this long we get to benefit via things like Supercast... NFL isn't putting money into developing things like that, DirecTV is.


Cable did 'come together' to bid for Sunday Ticket and Extra Innings, I think they bid under InDemand but I could be wrong, they definitely do have a group though that includes most of the cable companies.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Azalo said:


> Cable did 'come together' to bid for Sunday Ticket and Extra Innings, I think they bid under InDemand but I could be wrong, they definitely do have a group though that includes most of the cable companies.


They balked at Sunday Ticket and walked away without ever making a bid saying it cost too much. I always love how Comcast and Time Warner cry about not having Sunday Ticket but when they had their chance they walked. So sorry for them.

As for Extra Innings you are correct that InDemand actually has EI, not the the cable companies themselves. Which is bad in that not all cable systems have InDemand but it is the closest that cable can get to a national footprint.

And Sunday Ticket would not be any cheaper if cable had it. Just look at EI. Goes up $20 a year and is the same price on both cable and DirecTV. Center Ice is on cable, Dish and DirecTV, goes up the same price on all providers. Same for Sunday Ticket. Goes up $20 or so a year and you know it would be the same price on both cable and DirecTV. Heck, EI really isn't all that much cheaper then ST if you look at it. Like everything else in life it keeps going up and having ST on cable isn't going to change that on bit.


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## Azalo (Oct 24, 2006)

Its possible that if cable won Sunday Ticket the price would actually go up because since so many people would have access to it they would have to price it to not have too many people sign up or the networks would be pissed, either that or place a cap and have a lottery in which case they could charge even more because people are willing to pay even more for somthing they 'win'. (PSLs anyone?)


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## mcmattyo (May 27, 2007)

It would be great if every provider could provide the Sunday ticket, the price would go down with some nice competition!


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## wilsonc (Aug 22, 2006)

The networks are the ones who don't want everyone to have Sunday Ticket. The networks are the #1 reason you'll never see this package on cable.


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

wilsonc said:


> The networks are the ones who don't want everyone to have Sunday Ticket. The networks are the #1 reason you'll never see this package on cable.


ST just carries the games broadcast by the networks, to other markets.

They don't care. The national ad revenue is the same, or more, for them. Since they may have more total eyes watching when you include "distant markets".

The local stations may get squeezed, but their parent networks don't care.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2008)

wilsonc said:


> The networks are the ones who don't want everyone to have Sunday Ticket. The networks are the #1 reason you'll never see this package on cable.


Incorrect.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2008)

Kansas Zephyr said:


> ST just carries the games broadcast by the networks, to other markets.
> 
> They don't care. The national ad revenue is the same, or more, for them. Since they may have more total eyes watching when you include "distant markets".
> 
> The local stations may get squeezed, but their parent networks don't care.


Correct.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> And Sunday Ticket would not be any cheaper if cable had it. Just look at EI. Goes up $20 a year and is the same price on both cable and DirecTV.


I checked the Comcast pricing in this area before the MLB season started and it was $159, same as last season. I'm sure there are some cable companies that are matching DirecTV's pricing, but not all are charging the same. I also haven't heard of a Superfan package on cable.


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## apk8 (Sep 21, 2007)

Kansas Zephyr said:


> The local stations may get squeezed, but their parent networks don't care.


If you believe this, you don't really understand the relationship between the networks and local affiliates.


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

apk8 said:


> If you believe this, you don't really understand the relationship between the networks and local affiliates.


Well, yes I do.

The nets no longer provide compensation to the locals. It's either no money, or the local pays the net, these days.

So, if enough eyes get shifted away from KWTF's NFL game to ST games, their ratings suffer and can impact what the local advertisers will pay them. This is more of an issue in markets with no "home team". Since they are more likely to have a fractured NFL audience.

Most of the local affiliates nationwide are not owned by the networks.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

rcoleman111 said:


> I checked the Comcast pricing in this area before the MLB season started and it was $159, same as last season. I'm sure there are some cable companies that are matching DirecTV's pricing, but not all are charging the same. I also haven't heard of a Superfan package on cable.


Around here all 3 cable companies (Comcast, Charter, Time Warner) with MLB charge the same as DirecTV. Must be in your market the local Comcast office decided to charge less. From what I've read though that is very rare.

The "Superfan" is one way DirecTV tries to make their MLB package different and thus try to get more people to come to DirecTV to get their baseball. If cable had Sunday Ticket as well the only thing I think that would come down in price might be Superfan as with competition this is the one thing DirecTV can show how they are different and worth it to come to them. Other then that in most cases prices will not come down. Now it might cause a year of stable prices but it'll start going up again after that.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

mcmattyo said:


> It would be great if every provider could provide the Sunday ticket, the price would go down with some nice competition!


As already explained, no it won't.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> Around here all 3 cable companies (Comcast, Charter, Time Warner) with MLB charge the same as DirecTV. Must be in your market the local Comcast office decided to charge less. From what I've read though that is very rare.


If you have some evidence that most cable companies are charging the same as DirecTV, please present it.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> As already explained, no it won't.


Nobody knows for sure what the price would be if the package went non-exclusive. If you want to keep reposting these silly arguments that the subscription price of has nothing to do with how much DirecTV pays for exclusive rights to the package, go right ahead. Most of us know better.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

rcoleman111 said:


> If you have some evidence that most cable companies are charging the same as DirecTV, please present it.


According to cable press releases the MLB package would be just under $200....same as DirecTV: http://www.tvpredictions.com/twbaseball032808.htm

Some other prices:
http://www.operationsports.com/forums/pro-baseball/240263-price-mlb-extra-innings.html

Look, I could post more but a google search will easily find it for you. Bottom line is they *all* charge about the same price, certainly with $10 of each other, barring any promotions (like DirecTV's early bird, I'm sure cable does the same). DirecTV is now in half season mode for $129 I see on the site.

Price has been the same or very close between cable/Dish/DirecTV on these packages for a decade. Don't know why some can't see it wouldn't be any different with Sunday Ticket. Oh well, I've got better things to worry about...


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> According to cable press releases the MLB package would be just under $200....same as DirecTV: http://www.tvpredictions.com/twbaseball032808.htm
> 
> Some other prices:
> http://www.operationsports.com/forums/pro-baseball/240263-price-mlb-extra-innings.html


There is no specific pricing information in those links, just some guesses as to what it "might" be. That's not exactly what most people would consider proof.



bonscott87 said:


> Look, I could post more but a google search will easily find it for you. Bottom line is they *all* charge about the same price, certainly with $10 of each other, barring any promotions (like DirecTV's early bird, I'm sure cable does the same). DirecTV is now in half season mode for $129 I see on the site.


If a Google search would "easily find" information to support your bogus claims, you would have already presented it. Instead you posted some blog and message board links that didn't even have any actual pricing information in them.

The claim that they "all" charge the same is simply false. As I've already stated, Comcast charged $159 this season, same as last year. If you're claiming I live in the only location in America where the package costs $159, then let's see some proof of that.



bonscott87 said:


> Price has been the same or very close between cable/Dish/DirecTV on these packages for a decade. Don't know why some can't see it wouldn't be any different with Sunday Ticket. Oh well, I've got better things to worry about...


No, it hasn't been. This false claim has been refuted before in this very same forum. Do one of those Google searches and I'm sure you can find the information.

The facts are clear: the Sunday Ticket package has gone up a lot faster than other sports packages and now costs about twice what the EI package costs. The reason is simple: DirecTV has to pay substantially more money to buy the Sunday Ticket package on an exclusive basis, and the only way to recoup that cost is by charging higher prices to subscribers.

If you want to debate this subject all over again, then bring it on. I had a lot of fun debunking your posts the last time around, and I can have just as much fun again.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

rcoleman111 said:


> I had a lot of fun debunking your posts


I thought the whole dream of dating a doctor was debunked. - Jerry
No, it's not debunked, it's totally bunk. - Elaine
Isn't bunk bad? Like, that's a lot of bunk. - Jerry
No something is bunk and then you debunk it. - George
What? - Jerry
Huh? - Elaine
I think. - George


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

rcoleman111 said:


> The claim that they "all" charge the same is simply false. As I've already stated, Comcast charged $159 this season, same as last year. If you're claiming I live in the only location in America where the package costs $159, then let's see some proof of that.


Hmmm, so according to the Comcast web site MLB EI right now is $129. http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Programming/sports/SportsPackages.html 
Time Warner, also $129 right now. http://www.timewarnercable.com/MidOhio/programming/MLB_ExtraInnings.html
Cox is charging...you guessed it...$129. http://www.cox.com/GulfCoast/indemand/mlb.asp

DirecTV is charging....$129.

Hmmm, how is it that they are all the same?

And your $159 price is probably the early bird price, similar to what DirecTV charges for early bird or returning subs (I believe it was $159 for returning subs, $179 early bird and $199 full price). According to here after the early bird price of $159 Comcast was charging full price, $199. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1010398&page=2

Sound like a familiar number? 

Of course we must also take into account that cable doesn't have dual feeds like DirecTV and has very few HD games if any (DirecTV makes all HD feeds available in the Superfan pack). So one could say you might get more value out of the DirecTV package, depending on what you want.

ESPN Gameplan is listed at the Comcast site at $109...same as DirecTV. No prices yet for Center Ice or League Pass, but they'll be up soon enough.

Want me to keep going? :lol:



> The facts are clear: the Sunday Ticket package has gone up a lot faster than other sports packages and now costs about twice what the EI package costs.


Well actually full price for EI is $199 and Sunday Ticket $289. Not quite twice. But it has gone up faster. Cable competition might keep it from going up as fast, perhaps, but it will cost the same on all providers, thinking otherwise is just foolish.



> If you want to debate this subject all over again, then bring it on. I had a lot of fun debunking your posts the last time around, and I can have just as much fun again.


No problem, have fun reading above.


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## IcedOmega13 (Mar 3, 2008)

jjohns said:


> Anyone know how long the negotiated DirecTV - NFL Sunday ticket package is this time around? I mean, what year does the agreement end? I'm a long time D* customer and getting really tired of not only all the "upgrades" bringing new bugs, but also watching brand new customers get these really nice price-cut perks while D* does nothing for their longtime customers. If in some way when the Sunday Ticket package deal is up, it is offered through some other vehicle, I'm gone.


Sounds like you may be a lifelong subscriber then eh?

Considering that more than half of D* user base is for the NFL alone, I think D* would darn near bankrupt itself to keep it.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

This Just IN!!! NFL and Directv sign new agreement keeping Directv as the exclusive Provider of the NFL Sunday Ticket until 2 days after forever :sure:   :lol: :lol:   :sure:


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

IcedOmega13 said:


> Sounds like you may be a lifelong subscriber then eh?
> 
> Considering that more than half of D* user base is for the NFL alone, I think D* would darn near bankrupt itself to keep it.


DirecTV has over 8.5 million subscribers to Sunday Ticket? That's about 6.5 million higher than the highest estimate I've seen and about 7 million higher than the general consensus.

Of course, that would also mean that Sunday Ticket is hugely profitable generating almost $3 billion a year in revenue (against an annualized cost of about $700 million)...I think your estimate is a bit high


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Not interested in joining this argument just thought I'd toss out the facts on DirecTV's renewal rates for MLB EI.

The renewal price for MLB EI was $170.0 (4 x 42.25) and SuperFan was $50 (4 x 12.50).



bonscott87 said:


> Hmmm, so according to the Comcast web site MLB EI right now is $129. http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Programming/sports/SportsPackages.html
> Time Warner, also $129 right now. http://www.timewarnercable.com/MidOhio/programming/MLB_ExtraInnings.html
> Cox is charging...you guessed it...$129. http://www.cox.com/GulfCoast/indemand/mlb.asp
> 
> ...


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

IcedOmega13 said:


> Sounds like you may be a lifelong subscriber then eh?
> 
> Considering that more than half of D* user base is for the NFL alone, I think D* would darn near bankrupt itself to keep it.


I cannot believe that half of all of D*'s subscribers have sunday ticket. If this were true you can bet that E* would have it. Charlie could pay 700 million out of his personal checking account and would if he thought that half of all of E*'s subs would buy it at 3 to 4 hundred dollars a pop.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

jclewter79 said:


> I cannot believe that half of all of D*'s subscribers have sunday ticket. If this were true you can bet that E* would have it. Charlie could pay 700 million out of his personal checking account and would if he thought that half of all of E*'s subs would buy it at 3 to 4 hundred dollars a pop.


You can bet that Chuckie Cheese keeps asking for the NFL Sunday Ticket, but I think that every time he offers, Directv tells the NFL that they will top his offer to keep him out in the cold


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

curt8403 said:


> You can bet that Chuckie Cheese keeps asking for the NFL Sunday Ticket, but I think that every time he offers, Directv tells the NFL that they will top his offer to keep him out in the cold


Remember the year of the merger?!! When Charlie had to pay D* to walk away from the purchase and part of his payment paid for a year or 2 of the ST agreement?!! :lol:


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> Hmmm, so according to the Comcast web site MLB EI right now is $129. http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Programming/sports/SportsPackages.html
> Time Warner, also $129 right now. http://www.timewarnercable.com/MidOhio/programming/MLB_ExtraInnings.html
> Cox is charging...you guessed it...$129. http://www.cox.com/GulfCoast/indemand/mlb.asp
> 
> ...


Here's what I see in the link you provided from the message board post (the below quote is from a Comcast subscriber):

Posted by Donnie Vie:
"We are paying $159 for "all the games" on the schedule and "the select HD games" as well. "

It sounds to me like the package was available from Comcast for $159, which was also the lowest price available to new subscribers last year. If I'm not mistaken, the early-bird price on DirecTV was $179 this year, compared to $159 last year. And again, that doesn't include DirecTV's SuperFan package, which is required in order to view any of the games in HD.

None of this supports the nonsense you've been posting. In fact, you are contradicting yourself. You started out by citing DirecTV's price increase for EI this year as proof that prices will go up $20 a year whether the deal is exclusive or non-exclusive. Now you're saying the package could be bought from DirecTV for the same $159 as last year.



bonscott87 said:


> Of course we must also take into account that cable doesn't have dual feeds like DirecTV and has very few HD games if any (DirecTV makes all HD feeds available in the Superfan pack). So one could say you might get more value out of the DirecTV package, depending on what you want.


You can take into account whatever you like, but the fact remains that you need the SuperFan package with DirecTV or you won't get any of the games in HD. No matter how you slice it, you're paying more to get the games on DirecTV. The fact remains that the EI package was available on Comcast for $159 this year, the same as last year, which refutes your claim that the price goes up $20 a year, just like Sunday Ticket.



bonscott87 said:


> ESPN Gameplan is listed at the Comcast site at $109...same as DirecTV. No prices yet for Center Ice or League Pass, but they'll be up soon enough.


Which proves exactly what? That competition keeps DirecTV prices in line with the competition when the packages are non-exclusive? What was the price last year - did it go up $20 year-over-year, as you've claimed (falsely) for the other packages?



bonscott87 said:


> Well actually full price for EI is $199 and Sunday Ticket $289. Not quite twice. But it has gone up faster. Cable competition might keep it from going up as fast, perhaps, but it will cost the same on all providers, thinking otherwise is just foolish.


The only foolishness I see is your repeated assertions that the high price of Sunday Ticket - $349 for renewals with SuperFan - has nothing to do with the high price DirecTV has to pay to keep the package exclusive. It simply isn't true. You can post the same baloney umpteen times, and guess what? It's still baloney.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

curt8403 said:


> You can bet that Chuckie Cheese keeps asking for the NFL Sunday Ticket, but I think that every time he offers, Directv tells the NFL that they will top his offer to keep him out in the cold


That might be true but, you can bet that if Charlie knew it would profit him to have it he would. ST is either not profitable at 700 million a year or, not profitble at the price it would take to get in on it after D* drove up the price.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

rcoleman111 said:


> It sounds to me like the package was available from Comcast for $159, which was also the lowest price available to new subscribers last year.


Guess you can't read. It was $159 for a couple weeks before it went up to full price, $199.

Oh well, believe what you want. Who cares. Not worth my time or effort.


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## satexplorer (Feb 6, 2007)

This should answer your question. DirecTV is ready to secure the rights again.

NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV *2006-2010*

AFC: NFL on CBS *2006-2011*
NFC: Fox NFL Sunday *2006-2011*

NBC Sunday Night Football *2006-2012*

ESPN Monday Night Football *2006-2014*

NFL Network Thursday/Saturday *2006-2012*


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

satexplorer said:


> This should answer your question. *DirecTV is ready to secure the rights again.*
> 
> NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV *2006-2010*
> 
> ...


And how do you know that?


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## Insomniac2k (Aug 22, 2007)

I wish I could dig up the link (but I'm going from memory, perhaps others may recall this), but I thought Peter King at one point reported that the cable deal didn't fall through because of price, but because the NFL did not like what they were proposing. They wanted to PPV the package so there was a per game cost (I think $10/game). I don't know if you'd have an option (per game or all games for one price).

Personally, I'd prefer to pay $10-$15/game if DirecTV offered it. However, I'm probably not the only one and they determined NFLST (and SuperFan) would be more lucrative than allowing per game PPV. (They do have $40 per weekend of NFLST, but not sure if you can get SF.)

I've read it a few times that CBS/FOX would prefer not to have NFLST widely available because that would mean two problems: 1. NFLST viewers can generally avoid watching commercials by finding another game and 2. You're possibly taking viewers away from the local channels.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

D* is availble to everybody in the country. Can't get any more widely available than that. Everybody that really wants it have it. I doubt that there are that many people that have cable would buy it if it were there. Anybody who really wants it already has D*.


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## eakes (Sep 22, 2007)

If some new contract offered games only as PPV at $10 or so a game, I wouldn't bother as I would consider that a ripoff. Presently, I get my choice of games for less than $20 a week which is a much better deal. I don't follow any particular team and would prefer to watch 10 games on Sunday afternoon than settle for two or three. (I have 5 TVs in my living room - five games at a time on Saturday and Sunday).


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

eakes said:


> If some new contract offered games only as PPV at $10 or so a game, I wouldn't bother as I would consider that a ripoff. Presently, I get my choice of games for less than $20 a week which is a much better deal. I don't follow any particular team and would prefer to watch 10 games on Sunday afternoon than settle for two or three. (I have 5 TVs in my living room - five games at a time on Saturday and Sunday).


We don't subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket at all anymore...but I know if there was a $10 option we'd probably get a couple each season if they were HD. I wouldn't go much higher though.


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> Guess you can't read. It was $159 for a couple weeks before it went up to full price, $199.
> 
> Oh well, believe what you want. Who cares. Not worth my time or effort.


And if it's not worth your time or effort, then why do keep re-posting this nonsense, even after it has been repeatedly debunked? Do you think you're fooling anybody by posting these apples-to-oranges comparisons of early-bird/late-bird/second-half prices? Your claims that the other sports packages go up just as fast as Sunday Ticket and that the price of Sunday Ticket has nothing to do with the exorbitant price DirecTV pays to keep the package exclusive are blatantly false. It's that simple.


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

jclewter79 said:


> I cannot believe that half of all of D*'s subscribers have sunday ticket. If this were true you can bet that E* would have it. Charlie could pay 700 million out of his personal checking account and would if he thought that half of all of E*'s subs would buy it at 3 to 4 hundred dollars a pop.


If that's true that he could pay "700 million out of his personal checking account", then riddle me this Batman, why didn't Chuckles the Clown pay up to keep MLB EI.....exactly!! He will never pay the big bucks for a sports package, that MLB EI deal he blew illustrates that. There is no way D* will lose the package and I highly doubt they will even lose exclusivity. It is that important to D* and its true the NFL does not want it to go to cable because the locals are against it due to lose of ad revenue.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

DCSholtis said:


> If that's true that he could pay "700 million out of his personal checking account", then riddle me this Batman, why didn't Chuckles the Clown pay up to keep MLB EI.....exactly!! He will never pay the big bucks for a sports package, that MLB EI deal he blew illustrates that. There is no way D* will lose the package and I highly doubt they will even lose exclusivity. It is that important to D* and its true the NFL does not want it to go to cable because the locals are against it due to lose of ad revenue.


Simple Robin, as I said it was not worth the money, the cash received from subs would not have paid for the yearly charge for MLB EI. Just like NFLST at D*. All of you people at D* that do not have NFLST help subsidize those sports packages. That is why ya'll have higher prices, larger more expensive starting packages, and no HD only package. If Chuckles thought he could make money on it we would have it.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

jclewter79 said:


> D* is availble to everybody in the country.


no it isnt....there are apartments in nyc for example thats dont have the correct sky exposure.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

dcowboy7 said:


> no it isnt....there are apartments in nyc for example thats dont have the correct sky exposure.


Ok, 99.9% of the country, much more than any one cable company or even all of them combined.


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## Insomniac2k (Aug 22, 2007)

eakes said:


> If some new contract offered games only as PPV at $10 or so a game, I wouldn't bother as I would consider that a ripoff. Presently, I get my choice of games for less than $20 a week which is a much better deal. I don't follow any particular team and would prefer to watch 10 games on Sunday afternoon than settle for two or three. (I have 5 TVs in my living room - five games at a time on Saturday and Sunday).


I see exactly where you come from. Ideally for the consumer, it would be nice to have both options. I'm sure there are people like me who only subscribe to get games for their favorite team. The rest are all just extras. I'd prefer to pay $10/game. I'd guess around $15/game I'd be approaching "break even" with the full NFLST price. I'd be happy to just be assured I could see all of "my" teams games and just watch whatever else is on locally.


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## 996911 (Aug 24, 2006)

jjohns said:


> Anyone know how long the negotiated DirecTV - NFL Sunday ticket package is this time around? I mean, what year does the agreement end? I'm a long time D* customer and getting really tired of not only all the "upgrades" bringing new bugs, but also watching brand new customers get these really nice price-cut perks while D* does nothing for their longtime customers. If in some way when the Sunday Ticket package deal is up, it is offered through some other vehicle, I'm gone.


This logic always cracks me up from the old timers. New customers get "perks" to get them to sign on the dotted line for 2 years. Think of it as a drug dealer (NFLST is the drug) giving you a break on the first go round and then once your in, you get the regular price. However, if you stick with him he'll give you a better price (early bird, etc.).

So what do you suggest they do for longtime customers? I am sure you could get a "new customer" promo if you wanted to sign on for another 2 years.

I agree though, D* should set up some sort of rewards system that you can accumulate points with. Pay your bill early and get "x" number of points. Subscribe to a sports package and get "x" number of points, etc, etc, etc.. Then have a list of services, etc, that you can cash your points in on, like $20 of any sports package in addition to the early bid price, free superfan, free 3 months of HBO, etc, etc, etc..


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

996911 said:


> I agree though, D* should set up some sort of rewards system that you can accumulate points with.


arent they doing that and wasnt it supposed to start like around now ?....i remember seeing posts here about it.


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## 996911 (Aug 24, 2006)

Hmmmmm, I don't remember reading anything like that but if you find a thread on it please post back.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

996911 said:


> Hmmmmm, I don't remember reading anything like that but if you find a thread on it please post back.


http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=135337&highlight=rewards

here is another saying aug 13.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=134670&highlight=rewards

edit: aug 20 per another post there.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

rcoleman111 said:


> And if it's not worth your time or effort, then why do keep re-posting this nonsense, even after it has been repeatedly debunked? Do you think you're fooling anybody by posting these apples-to-oranges comparisons of early-bird/late-bird/second-half prices? Your claims that the other sports packages go up just as fast as Sunday Ticket and that the price of Sunday Ticket has nothing to do with the exorbitant price DirecTV pays to keep the package exclusive are blatantly false. It's that simple.


LOL. Yea, I love to suffer.

Look, bottom line, the facts are this:

All providers of Extra Innings, both cable and DirecTV have the package priced the same at $199. All of them have the half season rate also priced the same at $129.
Each cable co and DirecTV run various "pre-season" early bird specials. Looks like Comcast did $159 while DirecTV did $169 (based on another post). Ok, so Comcast had their early bird $10 cheaper. Awesome, switch to Comcast if you want to save 10 bucks, no problem. A friend of mine with Charter told me he paid $179 before the season started, $10 more then DirecTV. So they can be different.

Also, Extra Innings goes up by at least $10 a year, usually $20. This is also a fact and all providers have gone up the same over history. People post all the time they remember when it was $79.

Sunday Ticket goes up about $20 a year. I've had ST for nearly a decade and it goes up $20 every year. It has also always been more expensive then say Extra Innings. Makes sense, more popular sport. And obviously in the world of supply and demand the market will bear that higher price because sub numbers have not gone down as the price keeps going up.

If both DirecTV and cable had Sunday Ticket what you'd most likely see is this:
1) At best the price might not go up that first season. And that's asking a lot but hey, it could happen.
2) Price will still go up $20 a year or so. Competition might keep it from going up at a faster rate but history with the other packages show that it will still keep on going up. Heck, the first time I got Center Ice it only cost me $99 bucks but it's $179 now. And it has always cost the same on Dish vs. DirecTV. Thus it keeps going up. Just like everything else in life.

My only point is that cable getting Sunday Ticket isn't going to suddenly lower the price for some reason which some seem to think (especially when you consider Extra Innings which is a lot less popular is only $80/90 less then ST as it is on both cable and DirecTV). The biggest impact may be in a slowing down of yearly increases and that's about the most we can hope for.

When people think that cable getting Sunday Ticket is the holy grail, I think that is foolish. I for one hope cable gets it along with DirecTV, competition is good. But I also don't fool myself into thinking it's going to save me any money.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

bonscott87 said:


> I for one hope cable gets it along with DirecTV


i hope directv keeps sunday ticket exclusively....because whenever i get asked, called about cable, dish net, fios i always just say "sunday ticket !" and that shuts them all up real quick.


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## curt8403 (Dec 27, 2007)

dcowboy7 said:


> i hope directv keeps sunday ticket exclusively....because whenever i get asked, called about cable, dish net, fois i always just say "sunday ticket !" and that shuts them all up real quick.


that is like saying bucket of water to the Wicked Witch of the West


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