Sunday Ticket 2023 news (didn’t see a post)

[Mad Max]

Great news for those of us that stream!
I already use YouTube TV, it works great so I’m sure the ST add is going to be a terrific add on implementation.

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[jamze132]

Finally! I’ll be cancelling Directv on Jan 9th…woohoo!

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

Finally! I’ll be cancelling Directv on Jan 9th…woohoo!
I’ll wait until spring but Samsies.

[jamze132]

I’ll wait until spring but Samsies.

Only reason I’ve ever even had it was because if the Sunday ticket.

[Novacane]

Only reason I’ve ever even had it was because if the Sunday ticket.

Same. They're going to have mass cancelations Jan 9th.

[sukie]

You guys still use dishes or was your direcTv over the webs?

[Novacane]

You guys still use dishes or was your direcTv over the webs?

Dish. And with the heavy summer rains in FL it would go out at the worst times.

[imbondz]

Psyched cuz I use YouTube TV too. Curious to know how much it costs.

[sukie]

Dish. And with the heavy summer rains in FL it would go out at the worst times.
Who you telling? I had that dish on my stucco wall (they don’t remove the dish when you cancel)

13 years later I removed it when house being painted. Pain in The ass

[notacon]

The details I’m waiting for is how the “Premium Channel” stand-alone offering is going to work.

There is no way I will subscribe to or even want YoutubeTV. I’m perfectly content getting my cable, including internet access from one company. The package deal (at least for my wife and I) is perfect, and priced right.

Internet only service is way too expensive (obviously they do this on purpose) and the other couple of choices for internet service only is very lacking in both reliability and price.

Sunday Ticket stand-alone streaming could be a very attractive service. Depending on exactly how they design it.

I don’t mind spending some money, but I do care about what I get for what I’m paying for. DirectTV was always lacking....at least for me and my wife.

[Gibby 2.0]

The details I’m waiting for is how the “Premium Channel” stand-alone offering is going to work.

There is no way I will subscribe to or even want YoutubeTV. I’m perfectly content getting my cable, including internet access from one company. The package deal (at least for my wife and I) is perfect, and priced right.

Internet only service is way too expensive (obviously they do this on purpose) and the other couple of choices for internet service only is very lacking in both reliability and price.

Sunday Ticket stand-alone streaming could be a very attractive service. Depending on exactly how they design it.

I don’t mind spending some money, but I do care about what I get for what I’m paying for. DirectTV was always lacking....at least for me and my wife.
I have google fiber, one of the nice things about living in KC, and I also have youtube premium, 11.99 a month because I haaaaaate ads ruining videos. So will I be able to pay extra for Sunday ticket alone or will I have to have Youtubetv as well (which is like 65 a month, I wouldn't entirely complain if youtubetv offered the C-Span networks [which are really the only thing I miss after cutting cable].

[Discotrish]

You guys still use dishes or was your direcTv over the webs?

Dish. We had two and one blew off and sailed up the street like a UFO during Hurricane Ian.

We only keep DirectTV for the NFL package.

I wonder how many subscribers they'll have left after this.

[Mad Max]

I have google fiber, one of the nice things about living in KC, and I also have youtube premium, 11.99 a month because I haaaaaate ads ruining videos. So will I be able to pay extra for Sunday ticket alone or will I have to have Youtubetv as well (which is like 65 a month, I wouldn't entirely complain if youtubetv offered the C-Span networks [which are really the only thing I miss after cutting cable].
You can get C-Span through “Level News” for $6/month
Android TV and Roku both have the app…not sure about Samsung.

[sahlensguy]

You guys still use dishes or was your direcTv over the webs?

I have Directv over the web. A good experience. Sunday Ticket is only available on dish though.

[jamze132]

YouTube plans to offer the Sunday Ticket at a price similar to what Directv was selling.

Sucks because Apple’s deal to acquire the Sunday Ticket fell through because they wanted to include it with their Apple TV subscription service which would have been amazing for us common folk who have to pay for it, but it wouldn’t have been fair to CBS, Fox, or ESPN. So ****ing what!

[imbondz]

I’ve never had Sunday Ticket before. The NFL is only a solid 5 years behind or more in offering it streaming. I bought NFL+ the beginning of this season thinking it would allow me to stream any game. Cancelled it a week later

[Novacane]

I wish they'd give a discounted subscription for just 1 teams games.

[notacon]

YouTube plans to offer the Sunday Ticket at a price similar to what Directv was selling.

Sucks because Apple’s deal to acquire the Sunday Ticket fell through because they wanted to include it with their Apple TV subscription service which would have been amazing for us common folk who have to pay for it, but it wouldn’t have been fair to CBS, Fox, or ESPN. So ****ing what!


It’s not a matter of being “fair” to other providers...it's matter of legally binding contracts.

The fact is that the existing contracts between the NFL and CBS & Fox required Sunday Ticket to NOT be below $300. I have read that Apple wanted to "include it with their Apple TV subscription service”, but I suspect that was wishful thinking from the media source (I read it on “Appleinsider (https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/12/17/apple-leaves-the-field-in-nfl-sunday-ticket-negotiations)”) and is not based on any credible (inside) information.

That idea (included in Apple TV subscription....or even charging less than $300 a year) is just not legally possible, considering the exiting contracts the NFL just finalized with the other providers.

Apple may have wanted to charge less than $300 (which again, was a pipe dream), but I suspect the bigger reason was because of rights to other “media assets” like Red Zone and NFL Network, and especially “rights to distribute Sunday Ticket on as yet non-existent platforms” like virtual reality and augmented reality.


Apple is a technology company and is always looking many years ahead. Google (as DirectTV did) wants ST to bolster their subscriptions.

Apple does not really care about bolstering their Apple TV subscriptions as much as they care about promoting their technology (now and especially in the future) that people use to access the content. What better way to ensure virtual reality and augmented reality is a “must-have” by offering NFL games on Apple designed and manufactured devices.


The Athletic has the story....

Why an Apple-NFL Sunday Ticket marriage didn’t come together (https://theathletic.com/4024544/2022/12/21/nfl-sunday-ticket-apple-youtube/)





The NFL earlier this year did score a Super Bowl halftime show sponsorship from Apple, but several weeks ago the media talks broke down. Why?

There are some obvious answers. Apple reportedly wanted to pay less than the NFL sought so it could offer the product at lower prices than incumbent DirecTV, but the NFL’s contracts with Fox and CBS disallowed that (lower Sunday Ticket prices could drive viewers away from the Sunday afternoon network windows). DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket offerings start at around $300 for a season.

snip...


Apple and the NFL also could not agree on whether the company would get the right to distribute Sunday Ticket on as yet non-existent platforms. Apple is heavily investing in virtual reality and augmented reality (https://bgr.com/tech/apple-to-launch-ar-vr-headset-at-wwdc-2023-leaker-claims/), nascent platforms in which sports are so far largely not viewed. As a result, Apple wanted what is dubbed known and unknown rights, individuals familiar with the NFL and Apple said. In other words, there is no known virtual reality market for Sunday Ticket, but there might be one day.

Imagine a virtual reality device offering fans a Sunday Ticket experience where it is as if they are viewing from the 50-yard line seats, said Tom Richardson, senior vice president of Mercury Intermedia and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s sports management program. Such a platform might seem a long way off, but Richardson said it could be coming in the next 24 months.

“It’s a well-known fact that Apple is on the verge of going big in AR and VR,” Richardson said. “And it’s been widely reported for the last couple of years, ‘23 could be a breakout year. So I suspect, as when they’re looking at multi-year deals … you’re looking at what could be a very different technology environment, consumer electronic environment by the end of the decade at this point, with no doubt some growth potentially very big growth in the world of immersive media experiences.”


Richardson in the 1990s worked for the NFL and NHL (https://theathletic.com/nhl/), and recalled similar situations arising in the emerging new digital world when companies asked if the media rights getting negotiated were good to be shown on “everything.” And, like now, the answer was no.

“The league doesn’t like to compromise and Apple as a two-and-a-half-trillion-dollar company, whatever they are now, they obviously kind of have their own way of doing business.”

[notacon]

I wish they'd give a discounted subscription for just 1 teams games.

FAT CHANCE.

CBS & Fox (the Sunday providers....Sunday Ticket does not compete with NBC, ESPN and Amazon Prime because only Sunday afternoon games are included) are not dumb and would NEVER, EVER commit to billions of dollars unless they had protection from cherry picking teams and games.

They can only pay for the rights to these games with advertising. The only way they can charge enough for advertising is for more eyeballs watching the games.

The only way that we will EVER get the opportunity to cherry pick games, is if ALL NFL games were pay-to-view.

The mold was cast in the 60’s when the AFL (smartly) decided to share the TV revenue equally and to require that every AFL game be broadcast for “free” over the airwaves.....supported by commercials.

It’s an equitable arrangement that has (almost) everyone able to watch NFL games with nothing more than a TV and an antenna for free.

What we give up is the choice of what games to be able to watch. While the local market for every team is required to carry their market's teams...broadcast for free.

In reality, it’s a pretty good deal.


And that TV/NFL deal is what has made NFL football, by far the best professional sports available.

[Novacane]

I called tonight to set up my cancelation for Monday. Of course they offered a big discount for 1 year but still higher than youtube TV. She tried telling me they will still offer NFL ticket they just won't be the sole provider anymore. I assume she was lying. I told her cancel anyway.