The NFL gives you terrible choices in terms of live game viewing

[Mr. Miyagi]

I just don't understand why the league doesn't see that it's exclusive deal with DirectTV is limiting its potential revenue generation. Sure it's probably making a nice penny from DirectTV, but your audience pool is so much smaller than it can be if they open it up for everyone instead of just DirectTV customers.

1. Opt out of the exclusive Sunday Ticket deal or at least not renew it and open it up to cable companies and Dish Network.

2. Make it available for paid online live stream viewing, like MLB and NHL.

The whole reason that they made the draft into a 3 day event is to maximize TV viewing audience, even though it hurts businesses in terms of draft parties since round 1 is on a weekday, more people watch it at home thus more individual TV sets are turned on. Now why wouldn't you apply the same principle to the weekly games, allow more people to get it at home (cable, Dish Network, online stream) instead of having to go to bars with Sunday Ticket package? Honestly, the games alone are not and have not been enough to dramatically drive up DirectTV sales, so why not change course now?

If I could buy the package with my current cable provide, I sure as hell would do it in a heartbeat. Why I don't want DirectTV instead you ask? Because I don't like satellite TV in general, but others may not be able to get it at all due to their locations, and others may be loyal to their provider. Who cares.

:2cents:

[El Guapo]

The NFL Ticket is the only reason I have not even looked at another provider in years. DirecTV has me by the short hairs, and there's not a lot I can do about it.

[ServoBillieves]

The NFL would have a better cash flow coming in with the NFL.com live idea, but I do believe they're going for that stranglehold (as above mentioned) with the Sunday NFL ticket.

It hits my pocket book either way... I'm either spending money on the Sunday ticket, or I'm going to the bar and fighting off idiotic Steeler fans for over-priced Labatt Blue (Coors draft special? I don't think so.) Hopefully they can come to their senses on that soon...

[Dozerdog]

NFL owners don't want every TV HH to be able to watch any game they want.

If your team is 4-10 and it's 15 degrees outside- you don't want people to stay home and watch any other game on TV. They limited it to Direct TV because the dollar to-viewer ratio was very high.

[BillsWin]

I go to a bar to watch the games. I spend a few bucks on beer and wings split among friends so its cheaper.

I refuse to give in to Direct TV.

I enjoy the cable service I have, and the last time I had direct tv I had a lot of problems. Either it wouldn't work or the customer service reps were morons.

I agree with the original post though. I think we should have more options.

[cpearl]

There is nothing better in the world thatn Directv Sunday Ticket, especially the Red Zone extra features and the feature to watch games on your computer, laptop, or now iPad.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

I just don't understand why the league doesn't see that it's exclusive deal with DirectTV is limiting its potential revenue generation. Au contraire.

The reason they purposely limit the accessibility of Sunday Ticket is precisely because of money. As you alluded to, DirecTV is likely paying above market value for the exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, possibly more than what they could earn from cable providers if they made it non-exclusive. Not only that, but Sunday Ticket broadcasts don't count toward the Nielsens for local TV stations or the networks, which means that it draws away from local affiliates (the same reason they have the blackout rules). Thus, if Sunday Ticket wasn't extremely limited, the television contracts would be worth less and with the TV contracts being the NFL's cash cow, that is the last thing they need or want.

[Mr. Miyagi]

NFL owners don't want every TV HH to be able to watch any game they want.

If your team is 4-10 and it's 15 degrees outside- you don't want people to stay home and watch any other game on TV. They limited it to Direct TV because the dollar to-viewer ratio was very high.
Well then the blackout rule can still apply. Why can't that work?

[JCBills]

Au contraire.

The reason they purposely limit the accessibility of Sunday Ticket is precisely because of money. As you alluded to, DirecTV is likely paying above market value for the exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, possibly more than what they could earn from cable providers if they made it non-exclusive. Not only that, but Sunday Ticket broadcasts don't count toward the Nielsens for local TV stations or the networks, which means that it draws away from local affiliates (the same reason they have the blackout rules). Thus, if Sunday Ticket wasn't extremely limited, the television contracts would be worth less and with the TV contracts being the NFL's cash cow, that is the last thing they need or want.

Yeah, the revenue generated per person would drop, but I'd say the millions of new subscriptions would outweigh that easily.

[Mr. Miyagi]

When it comes to audience, the bigger is always the better. Subscription money aside, you have a larger number of people exposed to many more games, potentially drive up merchandise sales, ticket sales, TV ratings for the draft and Super Bowl. Live streaming games online can even attract fans from overseas, who likely couldn't go to the games or watch local TV or even get DirecTV even if they wanted to, help getting into those Asian or European markets that they've been trying to explore.

[lordofgun]

Au contraire.

The reason they purposely limit the accessibility of Sunday Ticket is precisely because of money. As you alluded to, DirecTV is likely paying above market value for the exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, possibly more than what they could earn from cable providers if they made it non-exclusive. Not only that, but Sunday Ticket broadcasts don't count toward the Nielsens for local TV stations or the networks, which means that it draws away from local affiliates (the same reason they have the blackout rules). Thus, if Sunday Ticket wasn't extremely limited, the television contracts would be worth less and with the TV contracts being the NFL's cash cow, that is the last thing they need or want.
Not true. All credit is given to the networks for games on Sunday Ticket, just the local channels don't get to show the local commercials. The local affiliates are the ones who are hurt by Sunday Ticket the most.

www.atdhe.net

[ZAZusmc03]

I have dish and I pay the extra 5 bucks a month for redzone, Then watch the Bills via "unnamed" websites.

[Stewie]

Online streaming of some sort is coming. They've been building towards it. However, the TV guys won't be happy about it. So the trick is to add it to the mix without killing the NFL's golden goose in the process.

[jamze132]

If you live outside the continental US, you can stream every game on NFL.com for $20 per week. Back when I was in the US, I would go to the bar each Sunday and spend roughly that anyways so to me it's a wash.

[Raptor]

The NFL pitched the Sunday Ticket idea to the cable companies when it first came out with it and the cable companies basically laughed at them. DirecTV didnt and picked it up, so now whenever it comes up for a renew DirecTV gets first crack at it and since it has become so popular they will pay whatever to keep there strangle hold over the product

Personally I dont mind it because DirecTV is way better than cable anyway

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

The NFL and it's television deals don't make any sense to me. I also don't understand if a stadium doesn't sell out the game is blacked out. The TV networks get to pay a lot of money (more than the ticket sales) for advertising that a lot of people don't get to see?

[Johnny Bugmenot]

The NFL and it's television deals don't make any sense to me. I also don't understand if a stadium doesn't sell out the game is blacked out. The TV networks get to pay a lot of money (more than the ticket sales) for advertising that a lot of people don't get to see?
The networks are paying a huge premium. They've been brainwashed into thinking that without the NFL they are toast. So they buy the rights at ridiculously high prices that virtually guarantee they will lose money (they're even guaranteed to pay rights fees for 2011 even if there's no season), afraid that without them, they'll fall apart. NBC, of course, is proving that this isn't the case, since they're still mired deep in 4th even with Sunday Night Football due to other problems (ahem, The Jay Leno Show, anyone?), but that hasn't stopped the renewals. The NFL is certainly not that eager to kill of their cash cow, so they haven't done anything about it. (Think of it like health insurance... but I won't go much further there.)

Nobody said the network bosses were smart.

[OpIv37]

Online streaming of some sort is coming. They've been building towards it. However, the TV guys won't be happy about it. So the trick is to add it to the mix without killing the NFL's golden goose in the process.

It exists now: as part of my Sunday Ticket package, I get online access to the games, both via the computer and via my iPhone, for no additional charge.

They just need to open it up to non- DirecTV subscribers.

[THATHURMANATOR]

NFL owners don't want every TV HH to be able to watch any game they want.

If your team is 4-10 and it's 15 degrees outside- you don't want people to stay home and watch any other game on TV. They limited it to Direct TV because the dollar to-viewer ratio was very high.
Don't they make a HELL of a lot more on TV Revenue than actual tickets sold though?

[THATHURMANATOR]

I know I would purchase the ticket or online feed in a heartbeat if it became available.

[Historian]

The Bills are so bad, I'm almost to the point of 'who cares?'

What's ruined the NFL for me, is the commercial barrage during games..it borderlines on sick.

Go back and watch an old game...say...the Comeback game, (which was a playoff game at that) and you will see far less commercials than you do today.

Games today are almost unwatchable. For every minute of game telecast, I'm willing to bet that there is an equal minute of advertising.

Hockey...baseball...none of the other sports I watch do that. It's one of the reasons I don't follow football as closely anymore.

How many times can one watch the same stupid Coors light ad?

[OpIv37]

Don't they make a HELL of a lot more on TV Revenue than actual tickets sold though?

Yes, but the problem is the NFL makes the money regardless. The networks pay the NFL for the permission to broadcast their games. The amount the networks pay is determined by contract long before the season starts, usually for multiple years, for a set amount of money.

It's up to the networks to recoup that money and make a profit by selling advertising, and the amount they can charge for that advertising is dependent on the number of viewers they can get. But the network has already agreed to pay the NFL, so the league doesn't care how many people watch. They get the same amount of money if it's 1 person or 10 million people.

So, it becomes the network's problem and not the NFL's.

[OpIv37]

How many times can one watch the same stupid Coors light ad?

The ones that get me are the car ads, especially when they repeat them. If I didn't have $50,000 to buy the loaded hybrid Lexus at the start of the first quarter, I'm sure as hell not going to have it at the 2 minute warning, after I've been sitting on my ass watching football for 3 hours.

[feldspar]

Great thread.

I moved away from the Buffalo area a while ago, so, like a lot of people, I have to go to the local Bills bar to watch the games. I also know of a good place to go for a free online stream, but I hardly ever go that route. Anyway, I spend as much (if not much more) money going to the bar as I would paying Comcast for NFL Sunday Ticket, or whatever they would call it if they offered it. I think that tons of people would sign up for this.

I really don't understand this. Why wouldn't they want to expand the market? We are really only talking about 2 channels, FOX and CBS...and the occasional NFL Network game, which always pisses me off. I don't understand how the NFL wouldn't make a lot more money by having all games available to those with cable. It pisses me off to no end. Then you have all these people forced to go to bars and driving home after drinking God knows how much.

I can't get a dish where I live, and millions of people are in the same boat. Think I'll watch more online streams this year, and I won't feel a bit guilty about doing it.

[feldspar]

Ideally, I think that companies like Comcast should offer people to subscribe to only the feed of their favorite team, and not have to buy the entire package of every single game. For example, I would get "the Bills channel" and not have to pay the extra amount to pay for the possibility of watching all of the games. I would get the NFL Redzone and just switch to that during commercials, but I can't do that either. The NFL Redzone is awesome.

So what you have is all these great things out there that I can't get even though I have the money; they have the technology to get them to me, but I can't get them at all. Bastards.

[jamze132]

How many times can one watch the same stupid Coors light ad?


Your prayers have been answered! Bud Light is now the official sponsor.

[Stewie]

It exists now: as part of my Sunday Ticket package, I get online access to the games, both via the computer and via my iPhone, for no additional charge.

They just need to open it up to non- DirecTV subscribers.

You're right; I was referring to directly available by the league, fox or nbc

[Buffalogic]

If u can't get the game just watch it for free online. There's a lot of websites that stream live sporting games. Channelsurfing.net is a good one for all kinds of sports and even other entertainment.

[Bravo82]

The Bills are so bad, I'm almost to the point of 'who cares?'

What's ruined the NFL for me, is the commercial barrage during games..it borderlines on sick.

Go back and watch an old game...say...the Comeback game, (which was a playoff game at that) and you will see far less commercials than you do today.

Games today are almost unwatchable. For every minute of game telecast, I'm willing to bet that there is an equal minute of advertising.

Hockey...baseball...none of the other sports I watch do that. It's one of the reasons I don't follow football as closely anymore.

How many times can one watch the same stupid Coors light ad?

I agree 1000% The commercialization and the NFL in general being shoved in my face at every turn has really put me off of the game. Up until about 2 years ago, I would never miss a game...and I couldn't get enough of the NFL. But now I have just had too much. The NFL is overexposed enough in my eyes.

2 hour pre-game show on ESPN...switch over to CBS...commercial...Kickoff...commercial...Incompete pass, 3 yard run, incomplete pass, punt...Commercial....8 yard completion...injury timeout...-1 yard run...delay of game....12 yard reception called back on a hold...incomplete pass...punt...commercial...rinse/repeat.

The fact that the Bills blow probably plays a role in my recent disinterest in the league as well...

[Dujek]

If you live outside the continental US, you can stream every game on NFL.com for $20 per week. Back when I was in the US, I would go to the bar each Sunday and spend roughly that anyways so to me it's a wash.

It's less than that, I think I paid $250 for the entire season last year, which had every game available on demand as well as streaming live, along with free streaming access to the NFL Network and certain NFL Network shows available on demand too.

Brilliant service.

[Dujek]

The Bills are so bad, I'm almost to the point of 'who cares?'

What's ruined the NFL for me, is the commercial barrage during games..it borderlines on sick.

Go back and watch an old game...say...the Comeback game, (which was a playoff game at that) and you will see far less commercials than you do today.

Games today are almost unwatchable. For every minute of game telecast, I'm willing to bet that there is an equal minute of advertising.

Hockey...baseball...none of the other sports I watch do that. It's one of the reasons I don't follow football as closely anymore.

How many times can one watch the same stupid Coors light ad?

That's what I loved about the on demand games on the NFL Gamepass service, all the commercials were removed. It was possible to watch an entire game in about an hour and forty minutes. And those games were generally available around 5 minutes after they had finished.

[trapezeus]

There was a good Gregg Easterbrook Article several years ago about how DirecTV is owned by Rupert Murdoch, also owner of FOX. I forget the details but his argument had to do that by having it on cable and accessible to more people, it would throw off the ad revenue to the local affiliates.

I couldn't find the article in a quick google search, but there is a very specific reason why they don't want it accessible through cable according to easterbrook.