Get out your wallet. ST in HD now $318.00

[gene1138]

I agree Longhorn this is absurd. Sunday Ticket is the main reason I've been sticking with D*. This might push me over to just cancel everything and move back to cable. I was starting to get excited about all the new things that D* would be doing this year but this extra fee just for HD is just crazy! Decisions, decisions.

 

[CRendall]

I've been subscribing to Sunday Ticket from the very beginning. The price has gradually gone up to the point that I'm not going to get it this year. I completely agree with LonghornXP. I've emailed DirecTV that they've priced it way too high and that I won't be getting Sunday Ticket this year or ever again if this pricing remains. I also told them I'm seriously thinking of going to cable since I have DirecTV for Sunday Ticket. My local cable company offers more HD channels and more premium channels, so without Sunday Ticket there isn't much incentive for me to stay with them.

Chris

 

[Seanb61]

Briefing.com Story

Just posted this story on Briefing.com

11:55 DTV DIRECTV adds premium service to Sunday Ticket; charges $99 extra for games in HDTV (14.75 +0.01)

Co has released pricing information for this yrs version of NFL Sunday Ticket. The company will be charging $219 for a package that includes all games in standard definition. They have also announced (via their web-site) that they will have a premium add on for this season that will run customers $99 on top of the cost for the standard package. This package includes a couple of new features but it also is the only way for a DTV sub to get games broadcast in HDTV via DirecTV. Last season there was no extra charge for HDTV games. This premium pricing should be seen as a positive development in the eyes of the analyst community but for those DTV subs that were "early adopters" of their HDTV service it may be seen as a slap in the face.

 

[slacker9876]

I guess this means we know where the $3.5B paid to the NFL for exclusive rights is going to come from now. The stockholders should love it. Damn it, I am seriously considering my wife to cancel now, I think it is an outrage and legal corporate fraud. It is not like CenterIce in HD where we would get more than 1,000 games or something.

Bad move D* ... if I can get the wife out we will not subscribe even in SD!!!!!!!!!

You know what really sucks everyone? The fact that our cancellations wont even matter. The sports bars are all going to foot the bill and even if ALL home subs cancelled I'll bet that commercial establishments will still realize record revenues for themselves and DirecTV though this "happening."

Damn You DirecTV ... Damn You!

EDIT: MAN I AM SO PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS ... I MAY BE THE FIRST IN THE MOVEMENT TO COMCRAP CABLE ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! But then what happens? I get punished with crappy TV ... I feel the wallet loosening up already.

 

[asousa]

I suggest all NFL Sunday Ticket customers that want HD cancel the entire NFL Sunday Ticket package this year to set a point. I think you would be best to go without for one year because if enough of you pay this year you will endup paying more next year. I would also tell D* on the phone that you would cancel all services because ST was the only reason you are with them and without that I have no reason to stay with you.

Now is the time we all should stand up and say enough is enough and I've also been told that both Fox and CBS won't be doing anything more in HD this year versus last so your nuts to pay for ST when they won't even give you all of them. So the fact is D* will be using the same bandwidth maybe less if they broadcast in MPEG4 compared to last year so we shouldn't have to pay 100 bucks extra. Now I have the money to spend but I won't be buying this year until prices go down because the fact is its getting cheaper to see the games in a sports bar along with buying tons of beer and wings and tipping and that shouldn't be so.

I sort of agree with you...but lets face it. There aren't enough people in these forums to make any difference. I am sure a very small percentage of people are not going to pay it. But if you truly want to watch your team at home you WILL pay it. A small percentage of people threatening to cancel is not going to make them change pricing. They somehow have to pay back the NFL and I guess this is their way of sticking it to the customers.

I will pay it becasue I want to watch my non-home team and I will def not go back to cable where my bill was almost double for TV (not including ST obviously).

 

[LonghornXP]

I guess this means we know where the $3.5B paid to the NFL for exclusive rights is going to come from now. The stockholders should love it. Damn it, I am seriously considering my wife to cancel now, I think it is an outrage and legal corporate fraud. It is not like CenterIce in HD where we would get more than 1,000 games or something.

Bad move D* ... if I can get the wife out we will not subscribe even in SD!!!!!!!!!

You know what really sucks everyone? The fact that our cancellations wont even matter. The sports bars are all going to foot the bill and even if ALL home subs cancelled I'll bet that commercial establishments will still realize record revenues for themselves and DirecTV though this "happening."

Damn You DirecTV ... Damn You!

EDIT: MAN I AM SO PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS ... I MAY BE THE FIRST IN THE MOVEMENT TO COMCRAP CABLE ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! But then what happens? I get punished with crappy TV ... I feel the wallet loosening up already.

Why don't they charge bars a shitload more money than us consumers. The pay way more than we do last time I checked.

I was also thinking about getting ST this year before this pricing because it seems that most of the ST games in both SD and HD have been aired at 1pm with very few overall at 4pm. Now the problem with that is because I always watch my Bucs and follow them much closer than anyother game so with that said it seems that this year every Bucs game happens to air at 1pm except two games with those games being aired at 1:30pm and 4:15pm. That is what is pissing me off this year because besides the Bucs most of the other teams I watch aren't on at 4pm either so I can't watch the games I want as much anymore because of this.

Now comes the question if cable companies will be offered the second half season 8 game per week package which would be a choice by the NFL not D*. I say this because it could be interesting if TWC would offer this new package along with other cable companies. From what I hear is that those 8 games per week would be picked by both CBS and Fox on a weekly basis meaning that those most likely would be the best available games.

Hell if D* wanted to screw all there HD customers on the box swapout they could give a 100 buck credit in return for a one year agreement which means a customer would have a harder time getting out of the agreement when they put the screws on but I don't think that is so because that would be such an instant class action lawsuit that not even Rupert could wiggle his way out of and it could even spark a case for the ST monopoly.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Ahh "Feel The Joy!"

Dumb Move DirecTV

 

[slacker9876]

LMAO .. not that anyones here really cares but here is my letter to D* as i just sent it.

Well to put it mildly I am PISSED OFF with DirecTV's decision to dime me out of another $100 for the Sunday Ticket package so I can get the games in High Definition. You greedy corporate goons really chap my ass. Yes, I am going to pay the $100 because DirecTV has been so good to me in the last 2 years of service and I know that when MPEG4 comes around you'll take care of me again. Yes you knew I would pay the extra $100 and that is why you are charging it. But I'll tell you what ... You had better get cracking with the NFL to lift ALL BLACKOUTS for this package and you also had better be broadcasting 100% of the games in High Definition.


You greedy corporate !*@^#&$

I mean really, what choice do I have? I need the NFL in HD like a crack whore needs dope & johns. Considering I have lost $385.00 calling with a pair of Jacks I wonder why this makes me so mad. I think it is becuase we all got the free ride last year.

STONEMAN ... you're welcome to trek to Loveland if you would like to watch but with gas prices the way they are you are probably better off to shell out the $100 too.

 

[Seanb61]

Anyone thinking that the FCC could get involved on this issue?

 

[LonghornXP]

I sort of agree with you...but lets face it. There aren't enough people in these forums to make any difference. I am sure a very small percentage of people are not going to pay it. But if you truly want to watch your team at home you WILL pay it. A small percentage of people threatening to cancel is not going to make them change pricing. They somehow have to pay back the NFL and I guess this is their way of sticking it to the customers.

I will pay it becasue I want to watch my non-home team and I will def not go back to cable where my bill was almost double for TV (not including ST obviously).

How can D* pay them back when they don't have ST customers. We on here have the most money to blow so if we feel this isn't worth it customers that have HD sets that aren't here will for sure agree it isn't worth it. Also if D* doesn't notify auto-renewel customers of this very big HD change and customers can't get all their money back this will be a class action lawsuit. Customers who are being charged for a service last year would expect to see the same level of service the next year or be notified clearly of these specific changes. If customers aren't sent many notices about this superfan change than a class action would state that because their auto-renewel showed a twenty dollar increase that would seem normal but a 120 dollar increase isn't normal. Either way if they aren't carefull this will be a class action lawsuit.

 

[slacker9876]

Why don't they charge bars a shitload more money than us consumers. The pay way more than we do last time I checked.

I agree wholeheartedly. I think they should nail the commercial customer with a $300 - $600 add on ... at least they can recoup the money. I mean I am really to starting charging friends family and neighbors for admission ... I think not, but the parties definitely are BYOB now ... those damn corporate "F-Worders"!!!!

 

[vurbano]

D* corporate types are total idiots. Most NFL fans want to watch their one favorite team every sunday. Why not put a pckage together for say 100 bucks a season to watch your one team and increase the ST sub numbers 10 fold?

 

[Rappy]

As a former Buckeye who lives in Maine

I am ticked off at the price increase to watch the games in HD. However, the only team I care about, the Browns, don't deserve to be shown in HD. Maybe a few seasons from now, when they are in the Super Bowl, I will shell out the extra bucks. By then, HD will probably be the standard anyway.

 

[cr0mag]

This does suck for ST fans. I've never had ST beacuse I'm happy with what's on the net usually, but for the die hards this is a real slap in the face. Especially since those of us with HD are ALREADY paying extra just for a few channels, compounded by the fact that most of us HD heads have some or all premiums, not to mention the bigger bill we all shelled out for hardware!
How dare these ash howls! (edited for content)
Now, me being the eternal optimist, I have to wonder what the next screwing will be like. Believe me, if they manage to get away with this ridiculous price increas for ST, it won't be the only increase we see.
As if they really and I mean REALLY need that much 'instant cash flow'.
D*, who the hell are you trying to fool here?

 

[towelie]

This is BS. I've never complained about the decompression of HD or the rate hike or the blackouts, but this is bogus. I will not pay $320, and since ST was the main reason I have DTV, I will most likely cancel when my 1-year is up and go to cable where I can get NESN in HD.

 

[cohiba]

It's times like these that I am so glad I am not a huge football fan. But even if I ever considered getting ST, I wouldn't get it now just out of principle. In fact, I was pretty close to getting D* to replace Voom, but with this kind of business model, I'm getting scared away--what else will D* try to do to screw us out of a few more bucks--especially the HDers??? I think I'm gonna stay away from D*...

 

[LonghornXP]

Anyone thinking that the FCC could get involved on this issue?

Because I'm involved with the goverment I'm talking to everyone I know but I wouldn't hold my breath because the people in charge now are in Ruperts back pocket but I hate to say this without starting a political war but if Bush wasn't in office the FCC would be controlled a little more by the dems and as such this would get more attention.

With that said I think were screwed because the FCC has no gain in this in fact the people running the FCC could get hurt by doing something like this.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Anyone thinking that the FCC could get involved on this issue?

On what basis?? They are charging more for a service that some people will pay for and some people won't.

 

[Tonedeaf]

if Bush wasn't in office the FCC would be controlled a little more by the dems and as such this would get more attention.

I think you have it backwards. The religious movement in this country that has filtered into the FCC is coming from Bush.

 

[Ncc1701]

Judging from the backlash on this board, I'd say it just a matter of time before D* realizes their mistake. They're gonna see the low ratio of ST/HD subs vs. superfan subs and reverse their decision.