[Road Rage]

I've been an NFL ST sub since it was first offered. Being a Seahawk fan in Atlanta the package was perfect for someone like me. However, with the NFL now having games on Thursday, Sunday, Monday and soon to be Saturday when college is finished I'm starting to see that annual price tag to not be the value it once was. In fact, I'm a coin flip away from not renewing after this year.

I wonder if the NFL knows it risks spreading itself too thin and I wonder if D* worries more ST subs like me are thinking the same thing.

 

[bidger]

I got Super Fan free this year, but as you say, it seems spread thin now. I struggled to find games to watch yesterday. The Chiefs-Browns was good, but was SD. The Cowboys-Giants game was the best game yesterday, but I would have gotten that w/out ST since I have waivers for FOX NYC.

In some ways, I regret having it this year and I've never felt that way before, so, yeah, I'm thinking this may be the last Season for me too.

 

[tbackus]

I like Sunday Ticket but with them taking away the HD games this year, and the whole crap with the NFL network, i wonder if it is worth it too??

I love being able to flip from game to game and getting the highlights on my Tivo, sadly the Hr-20 doesn't get them (just another thing wrong with that POC)....

However, more and more games are leaving ST and moving to other networks.... The price goes up.... and now if we want HD, we have to buy SuperFan.... hmmm.... I'm starting to agree with you.

 

[cariera]

I've been an NFL ST sub since day 1. Being a Seahawk fan in Atlanta the package was perfect for someone like me. However, with the NFL now having games on Thursday, Sunday, Monday and soon to be Saturday when college is finished I'm starting to see that annual price tag to not be the value it once was. In fact, I'm a coin flip away from not renewing after this year.

I wonder if the NFL knows it risks spreading itself too thin and I wonder if D* worries more ST subs like me are thinking the same thing.

I did check out the number of NFLST games offered in 2005 vs. 2006 before renewing, and if I remember correctly there was exactly 1 less game offered.

The reason is that ABC got a lot of, if not all of, those extra Saturday games last year near the end of the season. So by having them on the NFLN this year, NFLST subs really didn't lose out.

I think the flex game may hurt NFLST subscriptions more than anything else because the best matchup usually gets pulled and put on NBC. This more than anything else might devalue the package in the eyes of some.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

IMHO.... Sunday Ticket has never been a "bargin"

I have never found a reason to purchase it....
But then again, I get the game I want to see every week.

 

[jonaswan2]

There will be lots of new Sunday Ticket services, it seems, for 07 (like mobile Sunday Ticket), so you should be able to get more for the money soon.

 

[Tom Robertson]

It will be interesting to see the effect Slingbox has on NFL ST. Unlike Earl, my team isn't where I currently live, but I still have family who now have broadband.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[marlen]

There will be lots of new Sunday Ticket services, it seems, for 07 (like mobile Sunday Ticket), so you should be able to get more for the money soon.

I'm all for adding value to the existing ST package, but a couple of issues should be addressed prior to that. First, as a Bills fan who has SuperFan I was unable to see their last 2 games in HD. Next week's game agains the Jets is also going to be SD only. (this from the largest DMA in the country?)

I know this is due to to CBS's lame ability to get 4 or more HD production trucks in place for the games, but in the end I pay money to D* for the service - not CBS.

It stings me a bit to pay what I pay for ST and then pay extra to get HD (SuperFan) - only to have the game I want to watch broadcast in SD. Further the SD compression for ST games is brutal.......

When I weigh all of this with the ability to see more Network based programming on NFL Channel and Saturday games on broadcast and include the fact that the most compelling reason I've stayed with D* is NFSTand NHLCI - I too am considering not renewing next year. If that happens - the hurdle for churn IMHO is greatly reduced and for the first time in 10 years I may be looking for a new provider.

One more nail in the coffin for NFST may be the pending availability of OTA. If it is as good I have read from others in these forums - I may go back to watching superior production quality for games that may not be my preferred matchups, but can't resist the chance to see real HD.

It seems like everything old is new again. I'll be going up on my roof - installing an over the air atenna and watching local games....just like I did 20 years ago! Ironic ain't it?

Oh yea...and no comments about being a Bill's fan will ya...it's been a tough 10 years and still can't bear to hear the words...."wide right"

Marlen

 

[bonscott87]

I like Sunday Ticket but with them taking away the HD games this year, and the whole crap with the NFL network, i wonder if it is worth it too??

They haven't taken away any HD games. If anything NFL Network and Thursday games means *less* games in SD come Sunday since one of those games is now in HD on Thursday. Works for me.

Sunday Ticket is my hobby. Every year I think about not renewing due to the cost but then I think about all the yarn my wife buys during the year and the cost of ST doesn't even come close so renew I must. Plus the fact that my team, da Bears, is out of market and I'd be stuck watching the pitiful Lions every week without ST.

AND ST is a godsend to fantasy football freaks like myself and the new interactive features like player stat popups and so forth just enhance my hobby to no end.

Long live Sunday Ticket! (Until it's $500 that is....)

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

This is going to sound weird. The times NFLST is a "bargain" (<maybe not the right word) is when your team not diong so well and they never gt any national games.

I"ve had NFLST for 10-11 years. I suffered thru Dallas three straight 6-10 season's a few years back. Being in Skins country, I never would have been to watch those....As painful as it was.:grin:

 

[marlen]

This is going to sound weird. The times NFLST is a "bargain" (<maybe not the right word) is when your team not diong so well and they never gt any national games.

I"ve had NFLST for 10-11 years. I suffered thru Dallas three straight 6-10 season's a few years back. Being in Skins country, I never would have been to watch those....As painful as it was.:grin:

Perhaps - D* should ask what your favorite team is (as I believe they already have), and then charge people proportionately for their desired team.

If you live in a market where the home team normally sells outs more than 72 hours in advance (i.e washington) - thus insuring home market coverage (virtually blacking out any out of market game) and your desired team happens to stink that year....you pay a premium to ge NFST.

If you live in a market that does not normmaly sell out and you have a relatively popular team (say the PATS, Cowboys, Giants, etc)...the chance of national network coverage are better..thus you pay less....

Demand-based pricing,,,isn't that where were' headed?

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

Perhaps - D* should ask what your favorite team is (as I believe they already have), and then charge people proportionately for their desired team.

They can't do that until the NFL says they can.

 

[bidger]

This is going to sound weird. The times NFLST is a "bargain" (<maybe not the right word) is when your team not diong so well and they never gt any national games.

That's a valid point. Yeah, when your home market team(s) fall out of it, ST allows you to see the teams playing games that matter for the postseason.

 

[luvdtv04]

They should offer each game as an a la carte PPV option. I'm sure there are a lot of people who'd never drop hundreds of dollars a year on the entire NFLST package but might drop $10-15 a few weeks a season to see a handful of games in which they're interested.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Out of curiosity, what was the price of NFL Sunday Ticket at the beginning. The cheapest I remember is $139 back in 1997.

 

[Proc]

I'm a long-suffering Lion's fan (one playoff win since 1957), so I need to see other teams, believe me (Da Bears and Stelers are my adopted teams -- the Steeler fans were so cool when they came to Detroit for the Super Bowl last year). Combine that with being in a few fantasy football leagues and the Ticket is entertainment beyond compare for Sunday afternoons. There is nothing better than sending the wife off shopping, firing up a pot of chili or a roast and kicking back with a good beer or two and watching the games. Its relaxing to say the least. To be honest, why anyone with options (other cable co's, E*, etc.) stays with D* is beyond me. I really think that D*s long-term strategy is to get those new sats up next year and offer a ton of HD. I think they know the writing is on the wall and after 2010, they won't have the NFLST as a monopoly and will need the HD offerings to keep/attract customers.

As for the price? I've gotten the SuperFan portion free the past two years, so that has made the price decent. If I have to pay for SF next year and the cost jacks up over $300, I'll have a decision to make.

At what price does the entertainment cease to be worth it?

 

[Radio Enginerd]

I like Sunday Ticket but with them taking away the HD games this year, and the whole crap with the NFL network, i wonder if it is worth it too??

I love being able to flip from game to game and getting the highlights on my Tivo, sadly the Hr-20 doesn't get them (just another thing wrong with that POC)....

However, more and more games are leaving ST and moving to other networks.... The price goes up.... and now if we want HD, we have to buy SuperFan.... hmmm.... I'm starting to agree with you.

This is my first time having ST. I probably won't get it next year... The SD games look terrible (to say the least) and I think its lame to have to pay extra for the HD version of the games. If the HD feeds were included, I'd think of renewing but without them, I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[untouchable]

I hardly ever go without finding a good game. I think the best game this weekend was the Titans/Colts...Vince doing just what he was doing with those Horns...I don't think it's spread thin, but hey, how else are you gonna get almost every game every weekend?? E* and cable sure can't compete.

 

[mluntz]

ST is the only reason I have D* in the first place. When it goes, I go.

 

[Skarzon]

ST was the main reason I got D* too, and I ended up not getting it...kinda. I ordered it before the season and got the first 3 weeks...then it shut off and they never charged me for it. Normally I would have had them correct the problem and re-enable ST but, my team is the Broncos and they've had 10 of 12 games broadcast nationally so far this year. That's 6 night games and 4 nationally broadcast games.

By the time the season is over, it will be 12 national broadcast games (or at least 12 games I get here in Texas) and 4 games I could only see through ST. It's nice to be able to watch any game you want, but my main reason for wanting ST is to watch my team. With the exposure the Broncos have gotten this year, no way is that worth the price for me.

I've seriously thought about setting up a sling box at my parents house in Denver, but I'm not sure if the picture quality would be worth it. Anyone have experience with it?