Comcast Sues DirecTV Over 'Deceptive' Claims of 'Free' Televised NFL Games & Response from DIRECTV

[JerseyMatt]

There are exclusive contracts everywhere. If one company wants to pay another company to be the exclusive outlet for their product (which is a marketing tactic), then they are more than welcome to do so. It's about as far from an antitrust issue as you can get. Antitrust is when you buy out or merge with your competition, thereby eliminating them so you don't have anything keeping your prices in check (which is what XM/Sirius did).

The price of ST isn't Directv's fault either, it's thanks to the NFL.

 

[charper1]

I will say that maybe Comcast should have sued not for false advertising but for violating anti-trust laws. I have no clue how the hell it's legal for DirecTV to pay tons more for Sunday Ticket to be exclusive when football is probably the most popular sport in the country. Because of DirecTV's greed, customers pay a LOT more for Sunday Ticket than they would if it were available to other competitors to make up for the profit loss. It's pathetic and although I desperately want Sunday Ticket, I will NEVER go to DirecTV. Slum of a company in terms of customer service.

Dare I ask who you are with now ?


Uh...no this is not an anti-trust case..

 

[scoop8]

Dare I ask who you are with now ?


Uh...no this is not an anti-trust case..

I'd ask those that think DirecTV is a "slum of a Co", to read some of the ST threads here and at the other forum. For such a "slum" Co, there's more than a few customers that are getting very good deals on ST. I've not paid the list price for the past 3 years for ST.

ST was put up for bidding years ago. DirecTV outbid the competition for the pkg. "Antitrust" has nothing to do with who won the bidding process.

Comcast plays the villain in my view, withholding sports feeds from satt providers, bringing transparent lawsuits, using terrestrial loopholes that prevent many sports fans in the Philly area from watching their home teams, as well as in the northwest portion of the country.

As for including D's customer svc in the "slum" district in another opinion here, I will speak for my experiences since 1999. They have done the job for me, no complaints so far.

 

[ComcastOgre]

DirecTV does have something to do with the full retail price of Sunday Ticket. It is as expensive as it is now because DirecTV signed an exhorbitant contract to be the exclusive provider of a very popular TV package and had to charge that much (for at least a while. Who knows when it goes back to full price.) to make a profit. It may not be an anti-trust issue, but it should be illegal. The only reason a bigger stink isn't made at the FCC is because Sunday Ticket isn't co-owned by any video provider.

 

[scoop8]

Please explain the illegalities of outbidding the competition for a service. There's nothing illegal about it.

Regarding "exorbitant" pricing, re-read the threads about customers that have been getting good deals on ST. This has been available to customers for the last several years as well.

 

[Ronnie-]

Many would disagree with you, I for one have no problem that they have an exclusive contract for Sunday Ticket

Because you for one know that it isnt illegal for them to outbid the competition and that it doesnt violate anti trust laws. lol

 

[JerryVolunteer]

Because you for one know that it isnt illegal for them to outbid the competition and that it doesnt violate anti trust laws. lol

Haha, true

 

[The Fat Man]

Unpopular? Yes, amongst us in the non-DirecTV community. Illegal? No. We have options. Either choose DirecTV and pay for ST, or don't. I think the NFL's reasoning is bullcrap, but it's their right. Anti-trust is DirecTV buying Dish Network and all the cable companies, so that they are the only pay TV provider in the United States. There are other companies who get it also, you just have to be in Canada to subscribe, lol.

Also, I wouldn't pay the $7 for the Red Zone Channel to get ST. How many games will you actually watch? Two! All the games are Sunday, at the same two times. Nothing to the same value as Extra Innings, Center Ice, or League Pass.

 

[JerseyMatt]

DirecTV does have something to do with the full retail price of Sunday Ticket. It is as expensive as it is now because DirecTV signed an exhorbitant contract to be the exclusive provider of a very popular TV package and had to charge that much (for at least a while. Who knows when it goes back to full price.) to make a profit. It may not be an anti-trust issue, but it should be illegal. The only reason a bigger stink isn't made at the FCC is because Sunday Ticket isn't co-owned by any video provider.

<yawn>

And I suppose the NFL has nothing to do with the exorbitant price of tickets either, right? Want some cheese to go with that whine?

 

[ComcastOgre]

I find it a bit ironic and comical that the overwhelming majority strongly arguing against my point have DirecTV. LOL. I think we've established it's not illegal, but how it's not is beyond me. Maybe I just enjoy the concept of competition instead of paying enough to eliminate it aLltogether. It's why I don't like the Yankees but enjoy seeing them not dominate anymore. LOL

 

[JerseyMatt]

I find it a bit ironic and comical that the overwhelming majority strongly arguing against my point have DirecTV. LOL. I think we've established it's not illegal, but how it's not is beyond me. Maybe I just enjoy the concept of competition instead of paying enough to eliminate it aLltogether. It's why I don't like the Yankees but enjoy seeing them not dominate anymore. LOL

<yawn>

 

[TwoPhases]

How many games will you actually watch? Two! All the games are Sunday, at the same two times..

I can watch up to 14 (7 early games & 7 late games) games on my 8-TV set up (1 HR-24, 5 H-24'S & 2 OTA).

 

[JerseyMatt]

You're sick!

 

[Ronnie-]

Maybe I just enjoy the concept of competition instead of paying enough to eliminate it aLltogether.

You enjoy the concept of competition as long as the end result is what you desire it seems. There was competition for this package, and Directv won the rights to it. Pretty simple.

 

[Ronnie-]

Also, I wouldn't pay the $7 for the Red Zone Channel to get ST. How many games will you actually watch? Two! All the games are Sunday, at the same two times. Nothing to the same value as Extra Innings, Center Ice, or League Pass.

Some people have multiple tv set ups and can watch more at once, but assume you only have the one, and two games is the max. With ST you can pick the two that you want to watch and not be tied to the two that your particular market is showing. To some, that itself is worth the cost of the package.

 

[Jimbo]

Sheeesh, anyone heard of a remote ?
I can change to any game I want, when the commercial comes on , move to the next one.
14 games or whatever there is on at the time, it's been working well for many years.
D* has a channel that has 8 games on the screen as well.

 

[JUCJ85]

what I like and will be useful, is the, and not sure the name, but able to switch between 2 channels/games. By hitting the down button.

I did that the other night between the NFLN set and FOX game.

 

[The Fat Man]

I can watch up to 14 (7 early games & 7 late games) games on my 8-TV set up (1 HR-24, 5 H-24'S & 2 OTA).

By my guess, money isn't worth it.

 

[The Fat Man]

Some people have multiple tv set ups and can watch more at once, but assume you only have the one, and two games is the max. With ST you can pick the two that you want to watch and not be tied to the two that your particular market is showing. To some, that itself is worth the cost of the package.

That's true. My market usually carries the games I'd rather see. Just my pov.

 

[JerseyMatt]

That's true. My market usually carries the games I'd rather see. Just my pov.

The core target for any of the sports packs is for the out of market or 'displaced' fan who can no longer receive their favorite teams locally. I subscribe to Center Ice solely to get the Devils games, because I am not content only being able to see them the few times they play Colorado or St. Louis (and then it would be opponent commentary). The fact that I can watch any other game in the league is gravy. Some may consider the cost to be high, but as someone who attended many games per season when I lived in NJ, when you rack up the cost of the ticket, parking, and refreshments/food, it's the same price as going to two games (one or less if you sat close). It's a tiny fraction of the price of season tickets.