NFL Sunday ticket w/o DirecTV subscription?

[Hank Kingsley]

Understandable. Every year I wrestle with that same decision. I used to try and get to 2-3 games a year but now with prices as they are I can almost buy a new big screen tv for that price and have my friends over to watch the games. So definitely hard to balance. I usually try to do the every other year type thing. This is the year to go to games so hoping I can find a couple of games with decently priced tickets and see if I can make a few more Bronco fans out of some of the people in the town I am by taking them to the games. Try to take somebody who has never been to a game before and see if they catch the NFL itch.

I'll never make the haj to Seattle for a game. Passports and such at borders complicate things and the effort is high.

But I did send my son, daughter and nephew there last year to see Tennessee. Son is 34 and epileptic so daughter took them and the nephew was the watch dog for my son.

With food and hotel and ferries and 3 tickets it cost me almost $1K.

Trying to get them there this year to either Dallas or Denver.

But I'll never go myself, I prefer to sit and watch a game for that sort of $$ and all you can do there is stand and yell....

 

[SonnyCID]

Mid to late 90's. It was brutal.

Oh, i know it was bad then. Was Sunday Ticket around at that time though?

 

[SonnyCID]

I had Sunday Ticket for a few years while living in SD. But there is usually two games to choose from when the Hawks arent on in the morning, and its often an NFCW game. Then 3 of the remaining 11 games every week is a primetime game. So about half of the games in any given week can be seen on network and cable. And thats almost always the bigger games. And if thats not the case ill just go somewhere else and watch it.

Truth be told though, i will ptobably get it this year because I will be away from home a lot this wintet.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Oh, i know it was bad then. Was Sunday Ticket around at that time though?

I know I had it around 1997 and I was in the Canuckistanian hinterland in Powell River.

I think ST started in '94?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I had Sunday Ticket for a few years while living in SD. But there is usually two games to choose from when the Hawks arent on in the morning, and its often an NFCW game. Then 3 of the remaining 11 games every week is a primetime game. So about half of the games in any given week can be seen on network and cable. And thats almost always the bigger games. And if thats not the case ill just go somewhere else and watch it.

Truth be told though, i will ptobably get it this year because I will be away from home a lot this wintet.

You should see my cable bill.

Probably $200 just for phone, internet and my "basic" cable which is almost fully loaded.

Then in fall I get 4 months or the Sunday Ticket Purcha Plan driving it up another $40 or so.

And If I happen to allow myself to be gouged for a UFC PPV.... another $60.

The Spousal Unit has gone ballistic on occasion over the bill.

 

[cdumler7]

I'll never make the haj to Seattle for a game. Passports and such at borders complicate things and the effort is high.

But I did send my son, daughter and nephew there last year to see Tennessee. Son is 34 and epileptic so daughter took them and the nephew was the watch dog for my son.

With food and hotel and ferries and 3 tickets it cost me almost $1K.

Trying to get them there this year to either Dallas or Denver.

But I'll never go myself, I prefer to sit and watch a game for that sort of $$ and all you can do there is stand and yell....

Really these days Cable (or DirectTV as we are talking about here) and tickets for games have been so jacked up that eventually they are going to surpass the ceiling of what anybody can afford. I do think DirectTV has figured out that eventually people are going to stop signing up for it and that is why they are beginning to make the switch to more online. I would say in the next 10 years almost all will be online.

Tickets for games definitely add up quickly. Thankfully I have a friend whose family has season tickets every year to the Chiefs who about every other year give me the Broncos tickets for free. So I at least get that bit of a break but beyond that going to Denver is at least a thousand dollars. Like I said that is where sometimes I sit and think this is a nice big screen tv that I can watch 16 games on compared to just one 3 hour (6-8 hours really with tailgating) game a year.

 

[Jikkle]

Supreme mentioned that. I was going to look into it closer to the season. They might close up that loophole by then.

From the NFL's angle closing the loophole would be like saying "stop giving us money and go watch free online streams."

I don't think it's an accident that the price still shows up in dollars even when you switch countries and they don't have any issues taking billing information from the U.S.

Unless DTV puts pressure on them to close it I'm sure the NFL is like "Oh darn those computer savvy people figured out a way around the country restriction so I'll suppose we'll just have to take their $100 and let them watch the live streams."

 

[R.J. MacReady]

These are some wacky restrictions but I'm in NY so it's works.


"Of course, there are restrictions.

The service is only available to those who: 1) live in apartment buildings where DirecTV service is unavailable; 2) live in metro New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco; or 3) attend college at Michigan (Ann Arbor), Alabama, Washington, Texas (Austin), USC, Florida, Colorado (Boulder), Syracuse, Ohio State or Harvard.

While some residing outside those restricted areas will still bemoan having to pay for DirecTV in order to utilize Sunday Ticket, it's a game changer for those in urban areas unable to partake due to regulations.

 

[darken65]

From the NFL's angle closing the loophole would be like saying "stop giving us money and go watch free online streams."

I don't think it's an accident that the price still shows up in dollars even when you switch countries and they don't have any issues taking billing information from the U.S.

Unless DTV puts pressure on them to close it I'm sure the NFL is like "Oh darn those computer savvy people figured out a way around the country restriction so I'll suppose we'll just have to take their $100 and let them watch the live streams."

I'm waiting until the beginning of the season but I wonder who gets that money? DTV or the NFLN? If DTV is getting screwed they might put a stop to it.. the reason for the wait.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

I cant live without DirecTV and I'll pay whatever they charge.

1. Im an Eagles fan living in the SW. Im not getting up at 9am on a Sunday just to go to a bar to watch my Birds at 10am. Last place I want to be is in a bar on Sunday morning.

2. DirecTV is only alive because of the NFL Ticket. THey pay the NFL BILLIONS to be the only cable company to supply every NFL game.

3. We all hate bills, taxes etc. But I love football and have NO problem paying for the NFL ticket. Nothing better then spending 17 Sundays a year on your ass watching football. Charge me more DirecTV, I have no issue paying that one bill.

 

[night]

That is still pretty spendy for just football games. They should take a page from the NBA's book and charge a monthly fee of 10 bucks and then I'll be interested.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

DirecTV has to get back on the billions they invested. The only way the prices go down is if NFL popularity goes down which aint happening for a long while. THe price isnt DirecTV's fault. Its just economics. The NFL is insanely popular. Did you know the NFL draft which is a complete bore had a higher viewership percentage then either the NBA, MLB and NHL finals. THats incredible if you think about it. THe average American was more inclined to watch the NFL draft then watch the NBA finals or World Series.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

That is still pretty spendy for just football games. They should take a page from the NBA's book and charge a monthly fee of 10 bucks and then I'll be interested.

There is 82 games in an NBA season. You pay a premium for the NFL because the season is so short.

The NFL is the only league were every game has a playoff feel to it. People plan the whole week around that one Sunday game. I bet half of NBA or MLB fans would happily miss a regular season game if "Predator" was on at the same time.

 

[night]

There is 82 games in an NBA season. You pay a premium for the NFL because the season is so short.

The NFL is the only league were every game has a playoff feel to it. People plan the whole week around that one Sunday game. I bet half of NBA or MLB fans would happily miss a regular season game if "Predator" was on at the same time.

I have no problem paying for MLB At Bat because of the 162 game season. I'm always going to get the primetime NFL game and anywhere from 2-4 during the day for free (locally postgame Packers coverage normally bumps a 2nd game on FOX off the air unfortunately). The only reason why I would want to purchase Season Ticket would be to watch my team (since I suffer from displaced fan syndrome) but those streams are still available for free, just not in HD. So I really have to ask if $200 is worth an HD feed.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

That is still pretty spendy for just football games. They should take a page from the NBA's book and charge a monthly fee of 10 bucks and then I'll be interested.

Up here we get ALL the meaningful hockey. Not worried about the rest of the B(fill in blank)-Sports.

And yes, some Sundays I wonder why I have ST.

But it's like life insurance I guess. Not needed till you need it.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

DirecTV has to get back on the billions they invested. The only way the prices go down is if NFL popularity goes down which aint happening for a long while. THe price isnt DirecTV's fault. Its just economics. The NFL is insanely popular. Did you know the NFL draft which is a complete bore had a higher viewership percentage then either the NBA, MLB and NHL finals. THats incredible if you think about it. THe average American was more inclined to watch the NFL draft then watch the NBA finals or World Series.

It's a powerful carrot for sports fans that don't live in their teams normal viewing area....imo that's the big pull...I'm a huge NFL fan, but if I got all the Steeler games on local TV, I wouldn't buy the tkt.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I have no problem paying for MLB At Bat because of the 162 game season. I'm always going to get the primetime NFL game and anywhere from 2-4 during the day for free (locally postgame Packers coverage normally bumps a 2nd game on FOX off the air unfortunately). The only reason why I would want to purchase Season Ticket would be to watch my team (since I suffer from displaced fan syndrome) but those streams are still available for free, just not in HD. So I really have to ask if $200 is worth an HD feed.

Relative I guess...after the PIT game I really don't watch many other games that I wouldn't get on cable so I do it solely for Steeler games...we get all the ATL games on local TV now...I will probably keep it (they're already marketing it in my billing statements) but the last 2 years it breaks down to about $25 per game since we're getting roughly 8 games on regular cable...in the grand scheme of things, it not terrible, but it's got me thinking.

 

[Southieinnc]

I'm in Okinawa. Year before last, the Patriots were on every week. Last year I did not sign anything and the Patriots were rarely shown. This year I'll buy something!