The Future of Sunday Ticket

[gluck75]

I am very curious as to what is going to happen in the next few years with Sunday ticket. A few points/questions:

-D* Has the Satellite rights through 2007 and the NFL has agreed to a "satellite only" agreement that ends in 2005. Do we think cable has a shot at it? I think not, simply because the NFL will then have a problem negotiating with Networks when those contracts are up because the Out-of-market game availability will be to widespread.
-In 2007 will DISH or VOOM have the resources to outbid D*?
-How does the NFL Network fit in the future plans???
-It has always been my contention(and hence my reason for getting D*) that NFL Sunday Ticket is what makes D* stand apart from DISH, VOOM and even cable. Do you guys think that if D* loses NFL ST that there core business will suffer greatly?

 

[slacker9876]

I do not think the core busniess will suffer. I think most of us know that 120+ channels for 36.99/mo is a pretty fair shake. Like you I started with D* becuase of the NFL ST but I am not likely to leave even if I lose it. If cable were to get it I am sure that would just mean more money for the NFL.

Personally I think that sooner rather than later D* will own E* and I think V* will lose more confidence (without a major turnaround) and the investors will pull the plug. They do not like HD like we do lol. I think D* needs to assimilate V* like the Borg ... then there would me 13.2M of us that are happier instead of just 10.2

I do not really have an opinion on the rest. I am way too hooked on Tivo to leave my dual-tuners and D* behind right now. Even with SD programming being the main offering. D* has been good to me, as long as they have what I want I am bound to stick around.

To the point losing NFL ST would stink, but I would not bail ... I would just "add" whoever had it to my budget

 

[boba]

Slacker you have the purchase backward. DISH was buying Directv until the FCC and Justice Department said noway.

 

[slacker9876]

I don't see where I said anything about a dead merger. ???

I commented on what I think will happen. My comments were based upon revenue streams over the last few of quarters. Now that I am saying ... D* makes more money per sub than E*, which is true.

 

[slacker9876]

we all make mistakes ... I must have been considering how things should have been. I did remove the errant info as to not mislead others.

 

[directvrep]

Lose the NFL ST?

DTV let go of the NFL ST? When we boast that we " ARE the HOME of the NFL SUNDAY TICKET" ? No way.... last I heard, we started kicking back revenues 2 years ago for the '06 bid on extending the contract. You have to imagine, with all our customers paying the NFL, we pay the NFL for rights to carry the service, and Fox & CBS are paying for select games.... They have to be making a crap load of money.

DTV Res Spec
white_knight_2010@yahoo.com

 

[steverobertson]

DTV let go of the NFL ST? When we boast that we " ARE the HOME of the NFL SUNDAY TICKET" ? No way.... last I heard, we started kicking back revenues 2 years ago for the '06 bid on extending the contract. You have to imagine, with all our customers paying the NFL, we pay the NFL for rights to carry the service, and Fox & CBS are paying for select games.... They have to be making a crap load of money.

DTV Res Spec
white_knight_2010@yahoo.com

I hope you are right and I do agree I can't imagine D* not offering ST. I also believe that cable will also be a playeras the NFL will want every penny it can get for this priceless package. I do hope though D* does remain the only home for it so that it can beat up cable even more.

 

[eckman]

I for one will follow where ever sunday ticket goes. Hope it stays with directv because i think they are the best.

 

[steverobertson]

I for one will follow where ever sunday ticket goes. Hope it stays with directv because i think they are the best.

I would never go back to cable even for ST

 

[CWS_kahuna]

I think the Sunday Ticket is awesome, even better with the HD lineup. I am not sure what I will do though when I can get FOX, CBS and ABC in HD, that might be enough football in HD to satisfy my needs.

What about that Seahawks vs. Greenbay game last Sunday on ESPN HD it looked wonderful.

 

[steverobertson]

I think the Sunday Ticket is awesome, even better with the HD lineup. I am not sure what I will do though when I can get FOX, CBS and ABC in HD, that might be enough football in HD to satisfy my needs.

What about that Seahawks vs. Greenbay game last Sunday on ESPN HD it looked wonderful.

I have had it for 8 yerars now and have really enjoyed it. I sometimes think there is enough on without it but I just think back to the days where I had to watch crappy games and had no choice so that alone keeps me going plus with all the pools and other investments there is nothing like catching the last few minutes of any game I want to check on.

 

[towelie]

NFL ST is why I ordered Direct, if another provider got it, I'd consider switching. But I don't think I would keep Direct w/o it. I'm grew tired of watching what my local network thinks I want to watch, which is usually the Giants and Cowboys...

 

[gluck75]

-First off, I'd have follow Sunday Ticket wherever it went, it's just THAT good. That said...I really hope it satys on D* because D*'s service overall blows cable to bits.

-As far as HD, having NFL ST in HD will be great...even if I do believe that Cable TV's HD offer's a far better picture(maybe this is from the compression issues)

-I don't think you will EVER see Sunday ticket on BOTH cable and Satellite. Previous poster SteveRobertson said "the NFL will want to squeeze every Penny out of this valuable package". The problem here is that Steve doesn't realize that if the NFL allows BOTH cable and Satellite to carry NFL ST, than the value of the contracts that CBS and FOX would be bidding on would be greatly minimized. Sure, they might counter with "well how does the NBA, NHL and MLB Get away with it?" The answer is that the NBA, NHL and MLB don't have valuable Network contracts that drop in value due these packages.

-Finally...any chance we will be seeing ABC HD in time for Monday Night Football?

 

[CWS_kahuna]

I have had it for 8 yerars now and have really enjoyed it. I sometimes think there is enough on without it but I just think back to the days where I had to watch crappy games and had no choice so that alone keeps me going plus with all the pools and other investments there is nothing like catching the last few minutes of any game I want to check on.

That is true, it is so nice to watch the game(s) you want.


ABC is the only major network channel that I have not heard anything about. I've read about NBC and FOX coming this fall (who knows for sure) but ABC rumors have been very quiet. My guess is no Monday night HD football this season unless you can use an OTA antenna which I can not.

 

[gluck75]

where are you located Kahuna?

I am only 2 miles from the ABC tower, BUT I live in Manhattan with tall buildings everywhere. I just ordered a Silver Sensor, so I guess I'll know soon.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

where are you located Kahuna?

I am only 2 miles from the ABC tower, BUT I live in Manhattan with tall buildings everywhere. I just ordered a Silver Sensor, so I guess I'll know soon.

I live in Southern California about 60 miles from Los Angeles. I might be able to use one of the very very very large outdoor antennas but my HOA (Home Owners Association) would probably not be very thrilled. I have heard good things about the silver sensor antenna, being really close like you are I would think it would work very well.

 

[gluck75]

Hopefully it'll work.

..and don't worry Kahuna...maybe by the time D* offers ABC HD you will actually have an LA team to root for!!!

 

[rtt2]

Comcast To Carry NFL Network May Vie For Sunday Ticket
(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
By Joe Flint
In a deal that could figure in a larger impending battle about who will air National Football League games in the future, Comcast Corp. has agreed to offer the NFL's new cable network to its digital-cable subscribers.

As part of the agreement, Comcast also will be able to offer NFL Network subscribers condensed versions of games via video-on-demand, a first for cable. Comcast is the nation's largest cable operator, with 21.5 million subscribers, 8.1 million of whom subscribe to the digital tier, meaning the NFL Network will be available to them. The NFL charges cable and satellite operators about 18 cents per subscriber per month for the service.

The deal is crucial for the NFL, which had faced challenges getting cable operators to carry its NFL Network. The operators dislike the league's relationship with DirecTV Group Inc., the satellite-broadcasting service controlled by News Corp. DirecTV has an exclusive deal with the NFL for its "Sunday Ticket" package, which gives subscribers access to as many as 14 football games a week.

The NFL's current, five-year, $2.2 billion deal for Sunday Ticket with DirecTV expires in 2007, but the league can end the exclusive nature of the contract after the 2005 football season. Cable operators such as Comcast, of Philadelphia, would like a shot at that package, which could help boost digital-cable subscriptions. By agreeing to carry the NFL Network, Comcast may be positioning itself to have some negotiating leverage with the league for Sunday Ticket, which has about 1.6 million subscribers.

Comcast Corp. Chairman Brian Roberts called the video-on-demand elements of the deal a major breakthrough. Most of the big highlights from a given game would be available to subscribers as early as midnight Sunday, just hours after the contests have ended.

 

[slacker9876]

I have had it for 8 yerars now and have really enjoyed it. I sometimes think there is enough on without it but I just think back to the days where I had to watch crappy games and had no choice so that alone keeps me going plus with all the pools and other investments there is nothing like catching the last few minutes of any game I want to check on.

This summarizes NFL ST for me too. I hated watching the crappy game becuase that is what was provided to me. So that is another upside! Now that I think about it ... the huge Fantasy Football implications, I can pick "backup guys" up before others even know the starters are hurt! Yeah, life is good when you have the ticket!

 

[slacker9876]

Comcast To Carry NFL Network May Vie For Sunday Ticket
(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
By Joe Flint

Comcast Corp. Chairman Brian Roberts called the video-on-demand elements of the deal a major breakthrough. Most of the big highlights from a given game would be available to subscribers as early as midnight Sunday, just hours after the contests have ended.

Just FYI: Directv TV started this last year for its TiVo subs. Cable acts like VOD is such a huge thing ... I have been watching VOD via my TiVo for like 2 years now.

I agree with the rest of you about cable getting NFL ST ... that would hurt the league, unless they cut D* off becuase of the CBS / FOX deals.