DirecTV / NFL Sunday Ticket

[sugarbear326]

I called my cable company and asked them the same question, when are they gonna carry other NFL game in my area besided Giants and Jets. I could get no answer, all that to say, I'm going into my 3rd year of Directv, it's GREAT. I have 4 rooms and they all have directv in them, so when friends come over they can watch their team if they don't like the skins, because the skins get the BIG SCREEN!!!

[sugarbear326]

I bought Sunday Ticket when it first came out. It was $99 and I had it on my 10 ft. C-band satellite dish. I had it for about six or seven years and DirecTv got it exclusively. I haven't had it since, but I want it. I'd just like to have it on digitial cable. My wife worked for Charter (sold to Cebridge which renamed itself SuddenLink) and we get our cable for free. Packages like ESPN Gameplan I still have to pay for, so I'd gladly purchase it if it were available. I bought a Sirius Sportster a few months ago so I could listen to the Redskins if they weren't on local cable, and now the games will be free on XXX ESPN. You never know which way to turn. If you want it on cable, and a LOT of cable subscribers do, write your cable company AND the NFL and express your wishes. If enough people write, they'll listen. The cable companies will find some $$$...and so will the NFL. I'd like to buy a "Redskins Ticket" for $99 and just get the Redskins games.

That would be a great Idea, I posed that question to my local company, but I could get no response, but if cable offered only Skins games, I would buy that ticket also.

[computerclone]

The moment Joe Gibbs cameback I dumped my Briaghthouse for DirectTV. Personally I hate DirectTV.. programming sucks compared to Brighthouse. At least they have Video on Demand which I miss. But I have to admit with all the storms here in Tampa the weather hasnt interupted much.

But good points.. why in the hell would NFL sign an exclusive..... Idiots....

But im sure they have a very good reason like... They bought a ton of stock in DirectTV.. which was bought by Hughs Network... Dam conspiracy.. lol

Who the hell knows.. I do know this... I will get nicked and dimed to dealth so i put up with mediocraty until I can afford to piss away 300 bucks a month just to have it my way.... Brighthouse cable, DirectTV just for the games and OH OH OH the Sunday pass so I can hear Sonny and Sam....

But I love my Redskins.....

Sunday Ticket is a very nice package, which I would buy in a heartbeat were it available on something else than DirecTV. I've had DirecTV (5-6 years ago) and didn't like it. Too many service interruptions due to weather anomalies, etc.

As for the picture quality, I now have Verizon FiOS which is a completely proprietary fibre optic network. It's an all-in-one system (broadband internet, phone, cable TV) that will, when it's fully up and running, have the ability to upload/download at a rate of 1GB (yes, gigabyte) per second. The picture on it is phenomenal, the number of channels unsurpassed as far as I've seen, and the Pay Per View / Video on Demand options are flat-out ridiculuous. FiOS has only been rolled out in select areas in Texas and Florida, but when it becomes available elsewhere, I highly recommend looking into it.

Hopefully, when the current NFL/DirecTV contract expires, a nonexclusive agreement will be put in place so those of us who don't want to get DirecTV don't have to buy it to get NFL Sunday Ticket.

[radagast5]

The moment Joe Gibbs cameback I dumped my Briaghthouse for DirectTV. Personally I hate DirectTV.. programming sucks compared to Brighthouse. At least they have Video on Demand which I miss. But I have to admit with all the storms here in Tampa the weather hasnt interupted much.

But good points.. why in the hell would NFL sign an exclusive..... Idiots....

But im sure they have a very good reason like... They bought a ton of stock in DirectTV.. which was bought by Hughs Network... Dam conspiracy.. lol

Who the hell knows.. I do know this... I will get nicked and dimed to dealth so i put up with mediocraty until I can afford to piss away 300 bucks a month just to have it my way.... Brighthouse cable, DirectTV just for the games and OH OH OH the Sunday pass so I can hear Sonny and Sam....

But I love my Redskins.....

If you like BrightHouse (which I had, and thought was pretty good), check out Verizon FiOS, it blows it away for the same price per month. I think they've only rolled it out a few places in Hillsborough County, but it's well worth looking into, especially for it's opportunity for growth.

[gooskins]

This article I found explains alot of the reasoning behind the exclusive rights.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA480250.html

[dfos81]

Does anyone have any insight as to how DirecTV manages to monopolize NFL Sunday Ticket?

Certainly companies like Time-Warner, or Cox Cable (say nothing of the huge telephone companies like Verizon and AT&T who are now entering the TV arena) have the ability to offer ridiculous money to carry NFL Sunday Ticket. So I'm left wondering how a comparatively small company like DirecTV gets away with an exclusive contract with the NFL.

I'm hopeful that because they're providing cable TV through a modem (and in Verizon's case an entirely proprietary fibre-optic network) that companies like Verizon or AT&T will not be technically classified as "Cable TV" companies. The thought being that they'd fall outside of DirecTV's exclusive agreement.

Surely the NFL (or whomever controls NFL Sunday Ticket) realizes that their subscription rate would grow exponentially if they allowed all cable TV providers the opportunity to broadcast their NFL package.

Directv signed a contract for the rights to the NFL ticket and no other provider was willing to give more then what Directv did, thats why its so high now.

I don't know how long the contract is, but the popularity of the ticket is so high now, I wouldn't be surprised to see others get involved in being able to provide the ticket soon.

Its all speculation as to when others will be offering it. Right now, Directv has the rights to it, until the contract expires, or Directv backs out of it, which I don't see happening.

In the mean time, call Directv and complain about the rates, you'll get the Superfan or something like 6months Showtime free. Get what you can out of it.

[Bryan81]

Living in Utah I love DirectTV. Without it I would not be able to see evey Redskins game like I grew accustomed to back in the day. I grew up in Springfield & loved watching the games. Guess that is the benefit of living in VA.

[Lead Blocker]

Money, all I can tell you is that DirecTV's Sunday Ticket and Super Fan package is like crack to a NFL fan. They paid a couple of billion for the exclusive rights and have done a very good job of passing off the cost to consumers, like me, who will pay for the features - and I don't care.

[Taylor#1]

dude direct tv rules,now i can watch my skins every week not hoping they pick them on local tv,i been in oregon for 4 seasons and last season was my time i seen every week since i left virginia,i loved it i seen everygame last year and am hooked,direct tv is better then cable and it went out only once.

[blitzpackage]

DirecTV has great customer service too. I JUST received a call from them saying they were hoping I was enjoying my service and hoped everything was OK. Since my local channels aren't coming in and I couldn't watch the HOF game I wanted to talk to them about it. But I couldn't because it WAS A FRIGGIN' COMPUTER calling me. Guess I'll have to do the legwork....ughh!

[computerclone]

If you like BrightHouse (which I had, and thought was pretty good), check out Verizon FiOS, it blows it away for the same price per month. I think they've only rolled it out a few places in Hillsborough County, but it's well worth looking into, especially for it's opportunity for growth.

Fios isnt available yet on my side of West Hillsborough Rd... I would have done it especially since dry loop DSL with Verizon "SUCKS" I moved 38 days ago and they installed it to the wrong apartment... Well I cant get anyone to come out and fix it... I guess I screwed up by going down to the phone box and taking my wires and hooking them up to the wrong apartment as well.. lol... They are now like... Huh whats the problem... Good thing the snow birds in the wrong apartment arent here... LOL

[alton66]

If you live in an apartment, check your lease or with the main office about putting up the dish. they may tell you to attach it to the balcony railing or in my case in FLA, they wouldn't let me at all.

If you rent a house, call the person who owns it to see if it is alright. If you have cable, they can just go in throught the existing cable lines.

[alton66]

But what about the house? It says on the directv site that they will probably have to drill a hole through the wall, so I guess I should get written permission to install it beforehand...hell I may even want the guy present when they install it huh? Anyone here rent a house or apartment?

I’m in the military and I live in government housing. We are forbidden to install any dishes to the house. The solution was to put the dish on a pole next to the house. It works just fine. The installers did the installation and were very aware of the rules concerning government quarters and where they could put the dish. If you are renting, you will need to get the owners permission. As far as an apartment, I don't know about that one. Hope this helps.

[TheDarb]

The Sunday Ticket is a bargain. I don't understand how people can complain about the price. It costs less for the season than it costs to take the wife and a couple kids to a single game. If you can afford a HDTV, then it's a no brainer to add Directv and buy the Sunday Ticket package on top of your beloved cable package. If that's too expensive, then you probably spent beyond your means for the HDTV.

[moondog]

I have a big question as well:

Seeing as how my dad is not gonna pay for DirecTV i was wondering, can you get NFL Network on just regular cable tv or is that something you have to get satellite tv to have as well?

any help would be appreciated.

[chaz13]

I have had DTV and the NFL ticket for aboout 6yrs. I do agree with the guy that started this thread but I must say I love the service. I haven't missed a game in 6yrs.

I have 2 complaints though.

One, the price. You would think that being a customer for all these years that I would get a much better price than the new guy that just signed up. I'm paying over $100 more now then I did when I first got it.

Two, the HD. I went out last year and spent over $5G's to watch the games in HD. I flip on the season opener just to find out I had to spend another $100 for the "Superfan" to see the games in HD. After arguing with them for much of the 1st half I gave in. The worst part of this is that I use the "Superfan" feature for nothing more than the HD.

Just to let you know I called Directv last week and complained about the extra cost of the Superfan package and they waived the fee. But you must talk to a retention rep. This is the direct number to the retention dept. They pick right up and there are no menus to go through. 1-800-824-9081. That same day I had a problem w/ my HD receiver I bought. After calling Samsung and going through a myriad of possible fixes, they told me it is the receiver. So I called Directv and they offered to give me, free of charge, a new receiver that includes an HD DVR. I had asked earlier for one that day b/c I heard people were getting them free and they told me no way. They are $400. A technician is coming tomorrow to install it. I thought that was pretty good of them.

[TheCoach22]

Direct TV's Sunday Tix is the best thing ever invented for a football fan! I have a 55' big screen for the Skins games, and three 13' TVs sitting above it so that i can watch the rest of the league in-between plays. Worth every penny. The only thing that I do not like is that you have to pay extra to get the Red Zone Package which includes HDTV games. That is discouraging, but what can you do? They coughed-up the coin for the exclusive rights, and now we have to as well. When we win the Super Bowl this year it will be worth the price all those crappy years! HTTR

[cooper02145]

I have questions about DirecTV, I will be out in Flagstaff, AZ by the 21st and I will be getting DirecTV/sunday ticket to watch the Redskins...

1. What is the setup like...Do they come to your house and bolt down the dish somewhere for you, or do they just give you the dish and let you figure out where to put it?

2. Has anyone who rents their house had any trouble with the owners in relation to the DirecTV? ...I dont really want to get the dish installed and see that it damages something when removed...is this the kind of thing I would have to ask for permission from the owner in writing before I got it installed?

If you are renting you will need to get approval before they will install it. Then just take it down when you leave. That is what I did and all that was there were a couple of holes from the bolts. Maybe there is a place to put it in the ground on a pole instead of the house.

Just GET IT.

[Guest sith lord]

Here's a couple of reasons why Directv is better than cable:

1. Picture quality is much better.

2. All Directv channels are 100% digital, where as in cable only the premiums are digital.

3. The NFL Sunday Ticket.

4. Still more affordable.

5. This is a big one. You actually lose cable service more often than you lose Directv service. Just a month ago, cable in my area was out for half the day.

So don't believe the lies in those cable tv commercials.

[riggorules]

The Ticket is great, but it's getting unnecessarily expensive. The price has increased over 35% just over the last 5 years, and it's because of DirecTV's exclusive rights. If other satellite/cable companies were allowed to provide the Ticket, this would create competition in the market and the price would go down. As long as one company continues to hold exclusive rights, they can basically charge as much as they want as they have us at their mercy.

[SkinsFanInTennessee]

Man...Sunday ticket is the only reason I got direct tv. If you dont like the price, then find a friend to go in with you. I did that a couple of years ago. Got 4 of us together and all split it. Not a bad idea

Then one year I just went down to the local sports bar and watched all the games there. Then I sat back and added it all up..

One week the sports bar (and this is a cheap day at the bar)

Wings..8 bucks

beers- 6 bucks (thats just for 3)

tip -- 10 bucks..hey..we are there for awhile..

total 24..times 16 weeks = $384

Plus you have to fight all the other fans who want to see their games..etc..

So in my opinion..its cheaper (plus..you can take the $154 you save, and buy beer with it) :applause:

[SkinsFanInTennessee]

The Ticket is great, but it's getting unnecessarily expensive. The price has increased over 35% just over the last 5 years, and it's because of DirecTV's exclusive rights. If other satellite/cable companies were allowed to provide the Ticket, this would create competition in the market and the price would go down. As long as one company continues to hold exclusive rights, they can basically charge as much as they want as they have us at their mercy.

Correct if I am wrong, but Direct TV has always had the exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, not just in the last five years. Its not that the other cable companies and other providers arent allowed to carry, they need to bid on the package.

Its a smart move on Direct TV's part. They know that it will bring tons of new subscribers to their service. And they know the market will pay the price. And if people are complaining about the price, then dont get it. Its that simple, you can go to a sports bar and watch it, but read my above post. Its going to cost you more. Trust me, even at $250 bucks, it well worth the money.

Not only do you get just Redskins games, but you can watch any other game you want. To me, you get more than $250 worth of entertainment value. Plus its always nice to flip to another channel and watch the Cowboys getting another beat down To me, thats worth 250 bucks alone. :dallasuck

[Shadowplay]

DirectTV is expensive, I agree, and the Superfan fee is ridiculous. It seems that DirectTV realizes this since they are waving it for a select few. Compare though how much you pay for 17 weeks of entertainment though. You are basically GUARANTEED to enjoy yourself straight for that amount of time. I mean, even if the Skins aren't on I love being able to flip around and see great plays. You see Manning, Palmer, LT, TO, McNabb...it's just awesome. And I get to root for whoever is playing the Cowboys. I love it! Go to a Redskins game or spend a few weekends going to a sportsbar to watch the game and I'm betting you'll pay more than for the Sunday Ticket.

[gridironmike]

Correct if I am wrong, but Direct TV has always had the exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, not just in the last five years. Its not that the other cable companies and other providers arent allowed to carry, they need to bid on the package.

I had Sunday Ticket on a C-band (analog..10 ft.) dish from the time they introduced it for six or seven years straight (until DirecTv got exclusive rights).

Not only do you get just Redskins games, but you can watch any other game you want. To me, you get more than $250 worth of entertainment value.

How much equipment and money would have to be invested to truly get every game (let's say for recording purposes so you could go back and actually watch every game)?

[nneece]

I've had Sunday ticket/ Directv, Dish, and currently have Comcast. I can't speak to the picture quality issues, Comcast is as good or better then Directv. What turned me off to Sunday Ticket was the last season I had it 7 of the Skins games were broadcast locally (I live in Atlanta). Why pay for Sunday ticket (which Directv jacked up after the new contract with the NFL) when roughly half the games are broadcast locally? I certainly don't mind slipping off to the sportsbar for a portion of the games.

I'm currently in the process of moving and deciding what service to use at the new house. So far, I'm leaning towards Comcast and it really doesn't seem to be much of a competition. Directv wants to charge me $400 for a HD DVR and associated equipment. With Comcast, I rent this for $9.95 a month (or less) and as the equipment becomes obsolete they replace it. With Directv, you are stuck with the equipment you purchased and it will be obsolete within 2 years. No contest in my book. If I didn't have Comcast in my area then I would seriously consider Directv.