DirecTV Keeps NFL Sunday Ticket

[Steve Mehs]

The National Football League and DirecTV signed a five-year agreement to extend and expand the satellite TV service's rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket, the subscription TV package that delivers up to 14 games a week during the NFL season.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. But the deal gives DirecTV a lock on the package, keeping it away from cable and its satellite TV competitor, EchoStar's DISH Network, for the next few years.

Specifically, DirecTV will continue to have exclusive small dish rights to NFL Sunday Ticket through 2007 and exclusive multichannel TV rights through 2005. The new agreement also gives DirecTV the opportunity to offer NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers exclusive enhanced technical innovations, including HDTV game telecasts, viewer-selected cameras and replays, and other advanced digital technology.

The agreement also includes a commitment from DirecTV to launch the NFL Channel as early as next year. The NFL Channel will be the first year-round TV programming service dedicated to the NFL and football, and will be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, on a year-round basis.

NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers can view all out-of-market NFL games every Sunday during the regular season, amounting to 14 games each week. The package has been available on DirecTV for eight years.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/dec2002/121202.shtm#one) (Used with Permission)

[jrbdmb]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers can view all out-of-market NFL games every Sunday during the regular season, amounting to 14 games each week. The package has been available on DirecTV for eight years.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/dec2002/121202.shtm#one) (Used with Permission)

From this quote it would appear that the Seattle / Pittsburgh experiment this year (locally carried games blacked out) could apply to everyone next year.

[James_F]

For some of us that is a good thing. Who wants to see the Cardinals on your TV. I saw this thing was for 5 years. I

s it exclusive or can InDemand or Dish buy in?

[Geronimo]

IT is exclusive for 3 years---through 2005. In 2006 and 2007 it is exclusive in terms of DBS but the league could cut a deal with cable providers (e.g In Demand) at that time.

[AFH]

DTV has to pass the 2 Billion dollar fee they paid to the NFL on to the customers. I did the math and spread out over 11 million customers that amounts to 15.15 per customer. If you spread it out per package it is 5.05 added to each package. Someone has to pay that. It seems crazy to me that the networks and DTV keeping spending crazy cash on sports packages when they have to write down the cost at the end of the fiscal year. I like the NFL, but something has to give and I doubt it will be the league. The networks and DTV will eventually have to tell the sports leagues that they cannot continue to pay the cost for sports packages and make money at the same time.

[Keith4USC]

They say 1.5 million buy the NFL package..... If the package is $200.00, that alone is 300 million per year.... I don't think they will have to raise the rates as high as you think..... I could see a buck or 2 more but anything higher would shock me.... And I'm sure they pay by the year (400 million) and with sponsors and maybe a buck or 2 increase with a few channels added, I see no problem with them coming up with 400 million.... And don't forget, they get 600 million from Dish after the merger went sour..... I think Directv is happy to break even on the Ticket because it will bring in more customers then if they didn't have it...... Just my thoughts...

I just got the Directv a few weeks ago and I love the NFL Ticket and I will buy it next year unless it is too expensive.....

[lkw]

NFLST is a strategic product to DirecTV. This is the product to lure NFL fans to directv instead of dish and cable. In other words, you can't just look at the revenue NFLST subscriptions bring in. Directv would be happy to attract boat loads of subs on their basic package, on top of ST, who would have gone to echostar or dish otherwise.

I mean, how many people would subscribe to NFLST alone and nothing else on DirecTV, and resort to cable/echostar for other programming?

[Geronimo]

A lot of the revenue comes from commercial customers and this package atteracts subs to DTV.

[James_F]

As Geronimo said... Bars and Restaurants really help pay for the package. NFLST has never been passed to the consumer. Remember it isn't free for DirecTV costumers who want it. They have to pony up at least $179. Bars pay much more. DirecTV isn't losing money on this, GM wouldn't let them.

[XLNC]

The National Football League and DirecTV signed a five-year agreement to extend and expand the satellite TV service's rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket, the subscription TV package that delivers up to 14 games a week during the NFL season.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. But the deal gives DirecTV a lock on the package, keeping it away from cable and its satellite TV competitor, EchoStar's DISH Network, for the next few years.

Specifically, DirecTV will continue to have exclusive small dish rights to NFL Sunday Ticket through 2007 and exclusive multichannel TV rights through 2005. The new agreement also gives DirecTV the opportunity to offer NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers exclusive enhanced technical innovations, including HDTV game telecasts, viewer-selected cameras and replays, and other advanced digital technology.

The agreement also includes a commitment from DirecTV to launch the NFL Channel as early as next year. The NFL Channel will be the first year-round TV programming service dedicated to the NFL and football, and will be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, on a year-round basis.

NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers can view all out-of-market NFL games every Sunday during the regular season, amounting to 14 games each week. The package has been available on DirecTV for eight years.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/dec2002/121202.shtm#one) (Used with Permission)
:)

[XLNC]

Which are the states and cities where nfl is mostly followed and watched

[william04]

ohhhh my godddd.

and NFL channel actually exists.

i can see it now john madden sitting there at a table eating hot wings yapping and drawing lines all over the TV saying god knows what..

all i got to say is hopefully when that channel comes to directv there wont be a price increase again....i am gonna block it out regardless...

[Steve Mehs]

Ummm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the NFL Network has been on DirecTV on channel 212 for almost a year now. :) I've found the NFL Network to be an great channel, and a nice bonus when I switched over from Dish.

[Marvin]

Ummm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the NFL Network has been on DirecTV on channel 212 for almost a year now. :) I've found the NFL Network to be an great channel, and a nice bonus when I switched over from Dish.
I was looking at the benefits of getting NFL ST on the screen that popped up and it said something like "See 50 preseason games on NFL Network". Are they going to black out the preseason games (or worse, completely black out the channel durring football season) for people who dont have ST? Cause that would really suck.

[SAEMike]

:shrug: Looks like those of us in Alaska are screwed for many more years to come when it comes to NFLST. :( :shrug:

[Art7220]

Is it exclusive or can InDemand or Dish buy in?

It's not exclusive anymore, as Bell ExpressVU has the rights for the first time this year. Expect a big ad push from BEV to get the DirecTV viewers to switch.

-A- :) Now I know buying BEV was the right choice.

[Skip Towne]

ohhhh my godddd.

and NFL channel actually exists.

i can see it now john madden sitting there at a table eating hot wings yapping and drawing lines all over the TV saying god knows what..

all i got to say is hopefully when that channel comes to directv there wont be a price increase again....i am gonna block it out regardless...
Don't look now! Channel 212.

[Steve Mehs]

All pre season games on the NFL Network will be in the clear.

[bonscott87]

It's not exclusive anymore, as Bell ExpressVU has the rights for the first time this year. Expect a big ad push from BEV to get the DirecTV viewers to switch.

-A- :) Now I know buying BEV was the right choice.

It's exclusive to DirecTV in the *United States*. It's been on various cable systems in Canada for years and will now be on BEV for the first time.

Also, I think some of you guys don't understand that this thread is well over a year old. ;)

[Steve Mehs]

I was waiting for someone to mention that this thread is from December of 2002 :)

[woodenshoe]

I know a guy at work who wants to get NFL ST but he currently does not have DirecTV. Is it true that you can get NFL ST without subscribing to Total Choice? I had heard this at one time. How would a person go about doing this? I have old receiver and dish I can give him so he wouldn't have to sign up for a 1 year contract. Would the "all knowing" CSR be able to help me or is this beyond their limited abilities.

[bonscott87]

Is it true that you can get NFL ST without subscribing to Total Choice? I had heard this at one time.

Used to be able to but you can't anymore. Have to get TC.