Thanks, I figured you were a cord-cutter. I stream a lot of stuff, but I really hope the NFLST package doesn't become streaming-only when the DirecTV contract expires after next season. Streaming is fine for watching a game, but it would certainly limit how I watch the games and how many games I could watch. With DVR capabilities I often watch two or three games in the same slot and skip through the commercials to save time. And if the games overlap I don't have to miss the end of one game or the beginning of another. Sometimes I even stream a game on my tablet while I'm watching one or more games on the DVR. It wouldn't be the same without the DVR.
2021 NFL Sunday Ticket & Game Pass Streaming
21 - 36 of 36 Posts
Joined
·
482 Posts
In my humble opinion (and I understand mileage varies for each person and their viewing habits), the NFL Sunday Ticket streaming package is superior to how you can view games, in comparison to the satellite offerings.
I, myself, am a longtime Steelers fan. If the Steelers are on during the early window, that's the game I watch and nothing else. If they're on a primetime/late window slot and I can browse around in early afternoon, the Sunday Ticket streaming app allows you to pick and choose up to four games to display at the same time in a full-screen quad box setting. (In comparison to the 4-game mix, where you can't pick games, and there's the border around the screens.) I use this to either enjoy other AFC North opponents games, or I can utilize one of the screens with Red Zone Channel. It's also easy to swap games in and out if one becomes a complete blowout.
In regards to DVR capability, I don't need one. Short Cuts (losing this from the satellite package was unfortunate, IMO) are available for each game from Monday-Wednesday, and I can consume a whole game in 30 minutes with no commercials. I usually catch up on the games I didn't get to watch much through this. (This leads to a deeper rabbit hole that cord-cutters don't really need DVR capability, because of on-demand, but that's a whole other thread.)
From my vantage point, the only downside to streaming-only vs. DIRECTV satellite is not being able to quickly bounce back to a local affiliate game on CBS or FOX if I'm on a Sunday Ticket channel. However, I've come accustomed to quickly bouncing between apps, so it's not the burden that some make it out to be.
Thanks for the detailed reply. I would certainly subscribe to the streaming-only package if I had no other choice, but I certainly wouldn't like it as much. As a long-time fan of the Rams, I always watch their game in its entirety, although sometimes I do watch another game at the same time. I use a long wooden ruler to block the ticker at the bottom of the screen and I hit the 30-second skip if they do an update on another game. If I watch 2 games in the early slot, I can finish in about 4 1/2 hours and go to the late afternoon games without missing a play. If I do the same in the late slot, I can finish those games around 10 to 10:30 and then start the Sunday night game.
The problem with watching 4 games on a screen is that you only get the audio from one game at a time, and some of the plays are happening at the same time. I guess it really just comes down to how you Iike to watch the games. I do sometimes watch the shortcuts to see games I missed, but it's not quite the same when you know the outcome of a game, and you also miss the commentary between plays.
I don't subscribe to the Max package, so I only get Redzone Channel in the weeks when they offer a free trial. Even then, I rarely watch it. It can be fun to watch that way if there isn't one particular game you want to watch, but when they start putting 2, 3 or 4 games on the screen a once it starts to annoy me. They shrink them down too much and waste a large portion of the screen. I feel like I'm watching on cell phones.
Another drawback of the streaming package, at least with NFLST TV package, is that you are limited to one login. I imagine that's to prevent password sharing, but it also prevents me from using multiple devices at the same time in my own house. Is that also the case for the streaming-only package?
Joined
·
482 Posts
Correct. The biggest hope for NFL Sunday Ticket, if it does move to a streaming-only offering, would be that you could at least get two simultaneous logins. That's where the satellite product takes an edge; you could have one game on the satellite and one game on a tablet/smaller connected TV at the same time, if a split-screen/quad-box format isn't for you.
I will take this approach, usually during a late window, if the local affiliate broadcast on YTTV is appealing enough to put on the TV (We're a one-TV home.) If it's not a priority watch, I can get plenty of look-ins in the late window through Red Zone Channel.
Yeah, they really should allow more than one login. After all, other family members might want to watch a different out-of-market game.
Looks like only the Sunday games are available on the NFLST streaming app. All of the Saturday games are showing "blacked out", and all Sunday games are available to stream except the local telecasts. Fortunately the 9 PM [email protected] game has a 1 AM replay on NFL Network.
Joined
·
482 Posts
Sorry I'm late to the party on this reply. I experienced the same thing. The app finally went past the "Every Game, Live, Every Sunday" slate into the actual app for testing. But as you said, Saturday games were blacked out, and Sunday games were streamed for testing. I didn't get to watch any Saturday games, but I had a phone notification from the Sunday Ticket app stating that Sunday games would be streamed for testing.
I watched part of the Jacksonville-Dallas game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, mainly to make sure the app is still working on my tablet. The picture quality of the game was very good on my 12.4" Samsung tablet. The main drawback is the limited DVR functionality in the streaming app. If you start watching late, you can't start at the beginning and catch up, like you can with the TV version of the MLB.app (oddly, the MLB app that runs on my portable Android apps is lacking that functionality). You can pause and resume in the NFLST app, but I don't see any way to fast-forward or skip ahead to catch up. It would be nice if the app got updated to incorporate more DVR functionality.
On the other, with the streaming app I can still watch if rain fade knocks out the satellite reception during a storm. I recall a few years ago, before there was a streaming app, when a snowstorm the evening before a game blanketed my rooftop, where my dish is located. I was beside myself trying to figure out a way to clear the snow from the dish before gametime. Fortunately the sun came out in the morning, and even though the temperature never got above 30 degrees, the snow on the dish melted about an hour before gametime.
On the other, with the streaming app I can still watch if rain fade knocks out the satellite reception during a storm. I recall a few years ago, before there was a streaming app, when a snowstorm the evening before a game blanketed my rooftop, where my dish is located. I was beside myself trying to figure out a way to clear the snow from the dish before gametime. Fortunately the sun came out in the morning, and even though the temperature never got above 30 degrees, the snow on the dish melted about an hour before gametime.
Joined
·
482 Posts
Week one of Sunday Ticket streaming worked with no issues to report. Games switched smoothly from stream to stream, and multi-game view had no issues. I'm re-watching a game on Short Cuts to help fill my lunch break and will catch up on others on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
I really, really enjoy this version of the Sunday Ticket product and hope more people are able to have access to purchase it in the future (which, it sounds like is heading that direction.) If and when it gets to that point, maybe we'll get some additional options like home/away radio broadcasts paired with the video, skycam-only streams (ESPN+ does this for big college football broadcasts) and catching up on a game through big plays (this is currently a YouTube TV feature.) But I'm sure there are a lot of hurdles to fulfill that wish list.
Unless anyone just cares to chat about Sunday Ticket further, I think my goal with this thread is accomplished for the season. A moderator can feel free to close this thread.
I really, really enjoy this version of the Sunday Ticket product and hope more people are able to have access to purchase it in the future (which, it sounds like is heading that direction.) If and when it gets to that point, maybe we'll get some additional options like home/away radio broadcasts paired with the video, skycam-only streams (ESPN+ does this for big college football broadcasts) and catching up on a game through big plays (this is currently a YouTube TV feature.) But I'm sure there are a lot of hurdles to fulfill that wish list.
Unless anyone just cares to chat about Sunday Ticket further, I think my goal with this thread is accomplished for the season. A moderator can feel free to close this thread.
It appears that the NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone:
The NFL Quietly Takes 'Sunday Ticket' DTC and OTT
The NFL Quietly Takes 'Sunday Ticket' DTC and OTT
Doesn't appear so. Just tried to sign up and it tells me I need satellite at my address
Did you read the article??
Just like last month's email, the most recent blast included the following disclaimer: "NFLSundayTicket.tv service is only available to non-DirecTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling unit buildings (apartments, condos, etc.) nationwide in the U.S. where DirecTV service is not available, live in select areas within various metropolitan cities, live in a residence that has been verified as unable to receive DirecTV satellite TV service due to obstructions blocking access to satellite signals, or are college students."
Joined
·
53,492 Posts
I tried a couple of addresses near me and both failed. One was the address of a former employer and the website suggested DirecTV for Business.
It is interesting that the reviewer was able to sign up and watch. Perhaps it was a mistake. Perhaps it was "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities". I don't see it as opening streaming delivery to everyone.
It is interesting that the reviewer was able to sign up and watch. Perhaps it was a mistake. Perhaps it was "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities". I don't see it as opening streaming delivery to everyone.
Joined
·
482 Posts
I received this same email blast, and I am a streaming-only subscriber. During the NFL season, I'll receive various emails from the NFL in these sender names/email addresses:
Maybe there's a reason those addresses the article writer tried were able to get through the system? A new subdivision where the addresses aren't yet recognized? I'm just throwing darts here. At one point in the past, I was able to receive DIRECTV DNS channels for ABC by simply adjusting my service address number by one house down the road. (Our DMA didn't carry the affiliate in HD, my antenna reception was poor and I was eager to have the HD feed.)
- NFLSUNDAYTICKET.TV - [email protected]-mail.com - This usually comes once a week on Fridays with the full schedule of games. Also used for my order confirmation emails.
- NFL on behalf of DIRECTV - [email protected] - These are the NFLSundayTicket.tv promo emails. I've received the same ones the article writer received, even as being a current subscriber.
- NFL Daily - [email protected] - Every morning Monday-Friday with top NFL headlines.
- National Football League - [email protected] - A Thursday Night Football promo email, usually comes most Thursday afternoons.
- NFL on behalf of Yahoo Sports - [email protected] - This has only come once (September 29) during the week 4 games that you could stream for free on the NFL and Yahoo apps.
Maybe there's a reason those addresses the article writer tried were able to get through the system? A new subdivision where the addresses aren't yet recognized? I'm just throwing darts here. At one point in the past, I was able to receive DIRECTV DNS channels for ABC by simply adjusting my service address number by one house down the road. (Our DMA didn't carry the affiliate in HD, my antenna reception was poor and I was eager to have the HD feed.)
LOL. Yes, I read the article but apparently you didn't. The whole point of the article is that, despite the fact that the NFL is still using their boilerplate language you're quoting about NFLST.tv availability, the reality is quite different.
But once again, within the NFLSundayTicket.tv signup portal, we tested a number of addresses of friends and family members residing in suburban family homes, all fully able to receive DirecTV, and were given the green light for service each and every time.
Joined
·
53,492 Posts
The truth is somewhere between the two statements.
"The NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone" is not a true statement as I (and compnurd) entered addresses that were appropriately rejected. DIRECTV's disclaimer has the "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities" exception. Apparently the friends and family addresses the author used were successful (despite not fitting the other exceptions.)
"I got it so it is available to everyone" isn't the truth. Perhaps entering a few hundred more addresses will establish a pattern?
![Font Display device Output device Technology Multimedia]()
![Font Display device Darkness Rectangle Signage]()
"The NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone" is not a true statement as I (and compnurd) entered addresses that were appropriately rejected. DIRECTV's disclaimer has the "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities" exception. Apparently the friends and family addresses the author used were successful (despite not fitting the other exceptions.)
"I got it so it is available to everyone" isn't the truth. Perhaps entering a few hundred more addresses will establish a pattern?
Oh I read it and has been pointed out a couple of times here.. Whoever wrote it is a moron
21 - 36 of 36 Posts
Join the discussion
