[jjohns]

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.

 

[Michael D'Angelo]

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.

 

[dcowboy7]

yep the 2010 season is the last under current contract.

 

[sean10780]

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

 

[curt8403]

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.

 

[schlar01]

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.

 

[Koz]

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.

 

[rey_1178]

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

 

[deweybroncos]

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!

 

[meStevo]

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.

 

[Azalo]

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.

 

[bonscott87]

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.

 

[Azalo]

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?)

 

[mcmattyo]

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

 

[wilsonc]

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.

 

[Kansas Zephyr]

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.

 

[Guest]

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.

 

[Guest]

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.

 

[Guest]

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.

 

[apk8]

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.