Cancel Sunday Ticket and still get the Red Zone Channel (like Comcast)?

[BlackDynamite]

So I know Comcast subscribers now get the Red Zone Channel for peanuts. Is there a way for Directv subscribers to get it too without paying the $450 (or whatever) for Sunday Ticket + Superfan?

[sigma1914]

Doubtful. Why would they? It'd be bad business. Redzone for a few bucks ORRRR Sunday Ticket for hundreds?

[BlackDynamite]

Doubtful. Why would they? It'd be bad business. Redzone for a few bucks ORRRR Sunday Ticket for hundreds?

Or you forgot about the 3rd option: guys like me that have the Premier package leave Directv and go to Comcast.

Why should I pay Directv $450 per year (or whatever it is) in addition to the $100 monthly fee )or whatever it is) for the Premiere Package, if I can get the Red Zone Channel for free (included in the basic sports package) with Comcast and Dish Network?

I'm cancelling my Sunday Ticket right after the season (would cancel it now but I don't want to risk it getting cut off in the middle of the season) and if I can't get the Red Zone Channel stand alone next year, Directv is gone, and I'll either get Dish or Comcast.

[sigma1914]

Or you forgot about the 3rd option: guys like me that have the Premier package leave Directv and go to Comcast.

Why should I pay Directv $450 per year (or whatever it is) in addition to the $100 monthly fee )or whatever it is) for the Premiere Package, if I can get the Red Zone Channel for free (included in the basic sports package) with Comcast and Dish Network?

I'm cancelling my Sunday Ticket right after the season (would cancel it now but I don't want to risk it getting cut off in the middle of the season) and if I can't get the Red Zone Channel stand alone next year, Directv is gone, and I'll either get Dish or Comcast.

It's certainly your choice to switch, but business sense is to not offer Redzone alone when ST is the golden ticket.

[BlackDynamite]

It's certainly your choice to switch, but business sense is to not offer Redzone alone when ST is the golden ticket.

I disagree. I think Sunday Ticket was the golden ticket in the past, before everyone else had the Red Zone Channel. But now that everyone else has the Red Zone Channel, Directv better offer the Red Zone Channel too. Because not everyone wants to pay for the full Sunday Ticket+Superfan. The Red Zone Channel is good enough for a lot of people- including tons of Directv customers that have been paying for Sunday Ticket+Superfan every year and only watching the Red Zone Channel.

Believe me, if I had known you could get the Red Zone Channel for a few bucks per month on Dish Network and Comcast before I paid for Sunday Ticket+Superfan, I would not be with Directv right now. And I am positive there are tons of others who feel the same way. The problem is that news didn't hit the public until most of us had already automatically renewed our Sunday Ticket+Superfan subscriptions.

Directv is going to lose a lot of customers (and money) if they don't offer the Red Zone Channel without Sunday Ticket and Superfan. Hopefully some Directv exec reads this thread and actually thinks about it. I really don't want to switch. I'm comfortable with my Directv service so I would gladly stay with them. But I am not going to pay $450 for Sunday Ticket when all I ever watch is the Red Zone Channel, and I can get it for a few bucks per month on Dish.

[lflorack]

My personal opinion is that they are two very different products that server two very different customer bases. I'm happy with the full ticket. Others may not be.

[Ken984]

You cannot cancel ST once the first game has kicked off in week 1. No reason to even think about that at this point.

[Littledude]

Or you forgot about the 3rd option: guys like me that have the Premier package leave Directv and go to Comcast.

Why should I pay Directv $450 per year (or whatever it is) in addition to the $100 monthly fee )or whatever it is) for the Premiere Package, if I can get the Red Zone Channel for free (included in the basic sports package) with Comcast and Dish Network?

I'm cancelling my Sunday Ticket right after the season (would cancel it now but I don't want to risk it getting cut off in the middle of the season) and if I can't get the Red Zone Channel stand alone next year, Directv is gone, and I'll either get Dish or Comcast.



I used to feel the same way, until I saw a thread from Tom Robertson that enlightened me to move three LCDs into the front room with my Plasma and have all the games on that I want to see at once. However, even though I will no longer quit because I am far too happy with this Sunday setup, I still feel as you do. The NFL devalued the Sunday Ticket by giving out the Red Zone Channel for peanuts to every other provider. D* is damned if they offer that Red Zone channel "a la carte" and damned if they don't.

[inkahauts]

I have to ask, what makes anyone think the red zone channel will be the same price next year as it was this year at other providers, much less that all of them will even have it again.. I was under the impression this was the first year trial run... which means they might change certain aspects, like cost, for next year....

I'm just wondering here..

[JoeTheDragon]

I have to ask, what makes anyone think the red zone channel will be the same price next year as it was this year at other providers, much less that all of them will even have it again.. I was under the impression this was the first year trial run... which means they might change certain aspects, like cost, for next year....

I'm just wondering here..

They should make HD free. and put game mix, on line and redzone in Super fan at $50.

and $50 for red zone on it's own.

[Littledude]

I have to ask, what makes anyone think the red zone channel will be the same price next year as it was this year at other providers, much less that all of them will even have it again.. I was under the impression this was the first year trial run... which means they might change certain aspects, like cost, for next year....

I'm just wondering here..

good point

[BlackDynamite]

Well all I know is the Red Zone Channel is pretty much all I watch. If Directv doesn't offer the Red Zone Channel without NFL Sunday Ticket next year, I won't be with Directv (assuming Comcast and Dish have the Red Zone Channel again next year for peanuts, which I'm pretty sure they will).

And I wouldn't even try to cancel my NFL Sunday Ticket until after the season. I just don't even want the risk of it killing the viewing that I have already paid for (like it stops working and I can't tune in next Sunday) and then when I call to get it corrected I get charged again for it or something like that. I'll just set a reminder on my calendar to cancel it after the season, and another reminder to price Dish and Comcast next July or August...

[Sackchamp56]

i still cant watch the redzone channel. It drives me nuts.

[joed32]

I agree with the OP, if I didn't need to watch my team every Sunday, I'd be happy with just the Red Zone. I will stay with Sunday Ticket no matter what but I think they will have to offer RZ as a stand alone to compete with the other services. I don't know what they were thinking when they agreed to letting competitors have their own Red Zone.

[WestDC]

I agree with the OP, if I didn't need to watch my team every Sunday, I'd be happy with just the Red Zone. I will stay with Sunday Ticket no matter what but I think they will have to offer RZ as a stand alone to compete with the other services. I don't know what they were thinking when they agreed to letting competitors have their own Red Zone.


The NFL made the agreement to offer the REDZONE Channel to ther carriers because of Revenue Stream "only" for the owners - NOT shared with thye players. STRIKE is comming up soon & the palyers Cap is being removed next year- so a war$$$ chest needed to be beefed up.

NFL owns the Content- D* is given a choice to carry it (contract) take it or leave it.


Have you watched the NFL rezone being offered- you can see it every monday 5am est on 212, (repeated) from sunday afternoon. I looked at it this AM and I personaly like the D* verzion much better then what the NFL has put together.

Watch it and compare.

[dcowboy7]

Is there a way for Directv subscribers to get it too without paying the $450 (or whatever) for Sunday Ticket + Superfan?

The renew price was only $275 & alot got superfan FREE.

+ i like to watch games i want to watch....not have some jerk make me watch what they think is "important."

[Ken984]

I could not have said it better, idiots at local stations deciding what to show me is why I have ST.

The renew price was only $275 & alot got superfan FREE.

+ i like to watch games i want to watch....not have some jerk make me watch what they think is "important."

[harsh]

You cannot cancel ST once the first game has kicked off in week 1. No reason to even think about that at this point.I think the OP was considering not renewing as opposed to dropping ST now.

[chevyguy559]

I'll be making a change if DirecTV won't offer a RZC only package of NFL ST or offer NFL RedZone in the Sports Pack....I see my 49ers every week on the local channel, but I LOVE RZC since I'm a fantasy football player.....if I have to pay more than $75-100 to get RZC, I'll go where I can get NFL RedZone for cheaper...it'll be interesting come next August :)

[Justin23]

Cheaper is not always better...think about the football off season...

[Justin23]

The NFL made the agreement to offer the REDZONE Channel to ther carriers because of Revenue Stream "only" for the owners - NOT shared with thye players. STRIKE is comming up soon & the palyers Cap is being removed next year- so a war$$$ chest needed to be beefed up.

NFL owns the Content- D* is given a choice to carry it (contract) take it or leave it.


Have you watched the NFL rezone being offered- you can see it every monday 5am est on 212, (repeated) from sunday afternoon. I looked at it this AM and I personaly like the D* verzion much better then what the NFL has put together.

Watch it and compare.

Thanks for the info...I've been wondering what the NFL Redzone looks like...I set the DVR to record it this Monday...

[WestDC]

Thanks for the info...I've been wondering what the NFL Redzone looks like...I set the DVR to record it this Monday...
I like the way and screen shots are handled by andrew much better than the dweeb on the NFL(version) of the Redzone. IMOP. Adrew's humor and voice don't seem to grate on me as much.

[Justin23]

I like the way and screen shots are handled by andrew much better than the dweeb on the NFL(version) of the Redzone. IMOP. Adrew's humor and voice don't seem to grate on me as much.

I love it when Andrew takes a subtle dig at a team..."Now let's check out the Browns offense...or whatever they are calling it now"... :lol:

[Jestr40]

I like the way and screen shots are handled by andrew much better than the dweeb on the NFL(version) of the Redzone. IMOP. Adrew's humor and voice don't seem to grate on me as much.


I have had both now and I agree that for some reason the D* version seems a little better produced than the NFL version. BUT, what I pay Comcast and what I would have to pay D* makes it a no brainer. Especially since they are both in HD now.

[cariera]

but I LOVE RZC since I'm a fantasy football player.....if I have to pay more than $75-100 to get RZC,

Why not just use the free "player tracker" feature. :)

[chevyguy559]

I love it when Andrew takes a subtle dig at a team..."Now let's check out the Browns offense...or whatever they are calling it now"... :lol:

:lol: Not to mention his infatuation with Ed Hochuli's "guns" :lol:

Why not just use the free "player tracker" feature. :)

I set that up last year, but when you have 5 different fantasy teams all with different players, its just easier to use the StatTracker on Yahoo and CBS Sportsline to keep track of stats, but its nice to see plays as they happen or a few seconds to minutes later :D

[BJM]

I accidentally recorded the RZC - it would take getting used to but I could see its appeal. I still prefer to record specific games and FF through them; with RZC (essentially a live highlights show, 6 hours long!) it would be hard to FF through and not feel like you were missing something.

I don't subscribe to ST 1) because of the cost, 2) I rarely watch football on Sundays anyway (timeshifted to Mondays or later). NFL Network's highlight show is good enough for me to get my football fix; plus with games Mondays, Thursdays there's plenty to watch not on Sunday.

[dodge boy]

I'd pay $100.00 for the superfan part only, but I can't see paying the extra for the SD channels, let those without HD take that hit....
Super fan is REdzone, game mix and HD games right? Why pay extra for the SD games?

[SteveHas]

The renew price was only $275 & alot got superfan FREE.

+ i like to watch games i want to watch....not have some jerk make me watch what they think is "important."

+1
Red Zone, and ST are two entirely different things.
I would never watch the Red Zone, I don't watch the Red Zone channel that comes with ST now.

[Newshawk]

You cannot cancel ST once the first game has kicked off in week 1. No reason to even think about that at this point.

I think the OP was considering not renewing as opposed to dropping ST now.

Harsh, Ken984 was responding to SaltyDawg's concern that if he called to cancel ST right now he'd lose it for the rest of the year. Even if he were to call in and cancel, IIRC, he'd continue to have it for this year, as there are no refunds for ST once the season has started.

I'm cancelling my Sunday Ticket right after the season (would cancel it now but I don't want to risk it getting cut off in the middle of the season)... (emphasis added)

[Horsefan]

+1
Red Zone, and ST are two entirely different things.
I would never watch the Red Zone, I don't watch the Red Zone channel that comes with ST now.

I agree. What I wish they would come up with is an option to follow your choice of 1 team all season long for say $150. ST is getting pretty darn expensive and I think they might be able to enlist quite a few new subscribers at that price point.

[dodge boy]

I agree. What I wish they would come up with is an option to follow your choice of 1 team all season long for say $150. ST is getting pretty darn expensive and I think they might be able to enlist quite a few new subscribers at that price point.

I would go so far as PPV of $10 per game.... 16 games for your team, if you need all 16 that's $160 for the season..... Just order with your remote or online at directv.com.... Sounds like an add.... :lol:

[ClerkDante]

As is usually the case, you get what you pay for.

When DTV did the opening weekend free preview of Redzone, I quickly became infatuated. Not wanting to drop the big dollars on it, I decided to switch to Comcast just for the privilege of getting the Red Zone channel. 8 hours,4 reciever reboots, constant pixelation and 3 calls to customer server after my installation, my HR20 was back where it always belonged and suddenly Redzone wasn't nearly as appealling.

Every year there's early-bird deals (and ST is usually the first thing dangled when you say you're considering leaving).

Next year, I'm taking the plunge. Everything else at DTV is just too good to walk away from.

[evan_s]

I can definitely see the appeal of being able to subscribe to only a Redzone channel. Personally I value the full Sunday ticket package because we live in Portland, OR and my Wife is a Dolphins fan and I'm a 49ers fan. Generally speaking I'll get at least 2 49ers games on the local channels because they play the Seahawks twice and usually a couple others. The Dolphins games are less frequent.

We do tend to just leave it on the redzone channel when neither of our teams is playing but we would still prefer the full package as long as we can afford it.

If your team is the local team and you already get most of those games I could definitely see just the redzone channel being appealing. DirecTV will have to weigh what the think will happen. Some people will stick with DirecTV and just get the full package if a redzone only option is not offered. Others may leave for alternative providers to get just the redzone channel. DirecTV will pick which ever option they think will make them more money in the long run.

Do keep in mind that the RedZone channel on other providers is not the same thing you get on DirecTV. The idea is the same but it is produced separately by the NFL network and is not the same show you see on DirecTV. You don't get to see Andrew making fun of the liedowns on comcast =)

[Shades228]

Most of this will fall into the NFL's hands and we won't have any idea about it until next year.

[Paul Secic]

Or you forgot about the 3rd option: guys like me that have the Premier package leave Directv and go to Comcast.

Why should I pay Directv $450 per year (or whatever it is) in addition to the $100 monthly fee )or whatever it is) for the Premiere Package, if I can get the Red Zone Channel for free (included in the basic sports package) with Comcast and Dish Network?

I'm cancelling my Sunday Ticket right after the season (would cancel it now but I don't want to risk it getting cut off in the middle of the season) and if I can't get the Red Zone Channel stand alone next year, Directv is gone, and I'll either get Dish or Comcast.

Comcast is more expesive because the DVR is sperate from receivers, as of 3 years ago. With Dish you just pay $6 for the Sport Pack.

[ciurca]

Put me down for wanting RZC a la cart. I will consider a switch as well if not offered in the future.

[BK89]

Red Zone channel is the only channel I watch all day Sunday. I will not renew next year if there is not a more economical package that includes only the Red Zone channel. Sunday ticket has gotten way overpriced, especially since they added the Superfan BS a few years back.

Or add it to the sports pack - that is a great idea someone already mentioned. There is no way I am paying that much money just to watch RZC. Hell - it would be cheaper to set up a sling box at someones house who has comcast/dish. :lol:

[ziggy29]

The cost of ST makes it an absolute non-starter for me. I'd easily pay for RZC a la carte like subscribers to other providers can get.

[dreadlk]

Do you people really think the NFL is going to mess around with their Bread and Butter???
Whatever happens next year, I bet NFLST will still be the way to go, the NFL and Directv will see to that.

[ziggy29]

I think the real question is: How many ST subscribers would pull back to only RZC if it were offered separately? It sounds like most of the ST subscribers here say they wouldn't do that, so it would seem like the primary argument for NOT offering it might not be a major factor at all. I have to assume, though, that the "universe" of DBSTalk ST subscribers may not be a representative sample.

[Grydlok]

For the 1st time and 6 years I didn't get NFLST. I only got RZC on FIOS.
I probably wont sub to NFLST again.
All the people nick picking saying the D's is better because of the announcer is subjective because not everyone cares for him. The Feeds and concept are pretty much identical, plus it was player tracker available.

[chevyguy559]

I think the real question is: How many ST subscribers would pull back to only RZC if it were offered separately? It sounds like most of the ST subscribers here say they wouldn't do that, so it would seem like the primary argument for NOT offering it might not be a major factor at all. I have to assume, though, that the "universe" of DBSTalk ST subscribers may not be a representative sample.

The problem that DirecTV might want to worry about is if they don't offer NFL RedZone or RZC, how many subscribers they'll lose to other providers that offer NFL RedZone......I'm going to have a decision to make next August.....I'll have 2 months left on my 2 yr commitment and if DirecTV doesn't offer me the NFL ST version of RZC for $50-75 for the season, or offer NFL RedZone for the same amount, I'll probably switch :D I'm NOT paying more than that for NFL ST when all I watch is RZC....

[joed32]

The problem that DirecTV might want to worry about is if they don't offer NFL RedZone or RZC, how many subscribers they'll lose to other providers that offer NFL RedZone......I'm going to have a decision to make next August.....I'll have 2 months left on my 2 yr commitment and if DirecTV doesn't offer me the NFL ST version of RZC for $50-75 for the season, or offer NFL RedZone for the same amount, I'll probably switch :D I'm NOT paying more than that for NFL ST when all I watch is RZC....

While I would not switch because I need to see my team every week, I think you are right that many people would.