I am being billed for a Sports Package($13.99) and Regional Sports($8.49). This seems high. I only watch CSN Bay Area and CSN California on the regional. Isn't that included in the Sports Package?
There are a lot of confusing posts in this thread...
Disclaimer - I am assuming you live in northern California based on what you watch for RSNs.
The Sports Pack is all of the RSNs (Regional sports networks) that are NOT local. You do not get pro content, except for live preseason MLB. You also get re-airs of Fox Sports NHL. It also includes some other channels that are national, like Eleven Sports. It also includes ESPN College Extra, ch 788 and up. It is $13.99/month but I don't think anyone actually pays that for it if you call. They are pretty generous with it.
The regional sports fee is for your local sports that are in your base package. For you, it is NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports CA. (They haven't been CSN for awhile.) The fee has nothing to do with how many channels or teams there are in reality but how much it costs to carry the teams and channels that are on Directv in your area. The fee is different for different areas, that is why is not wrapped into the price of the package. The Giants, A's, Warriors, Kings, Sharks, and Earthquakes are the teams you get, but you probably knew that. They also consider the 49ers and Raiders content on the RSNs as something, even though no NFL regular season games are on any RSN and only a few preseason games are on them. The RSN fee in Oregon, for example, SHOULD be lower because Directv does not carry NBC Sports NW so they only have 1 of their 2 RSNs.
You can get out of the RSN fee by dropping to some ridiculous tiny package, but why would you want to? And you said you watch your RSNs so, it seems the $8.49 is worth it. If you don't watch the other RSNs, any of the college sports from the Fox Sports RSNs, any of the ESPN College channels, the few national sports channels, or the NHL re-airs then you can drop the Sports Pack and keep just ch 696 and 698 in your package for RSNs.