As I sit here and ponder the future of my 1-6 Green Bay Packers, I am reminded of the blood pact that was signed by DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket last year. The deal is worth 3.5 billion over 5 years, averaging out to 700 millon per season. For that price, DirecTV buys exclusive access to NFL Sunday Ticket, making it impossible for non-DirecTV customers to enjoy any out-of-market games at home. Prior to the deal, I sent off several emails to the folks at NFL Sunday Ticket, asking why they disregard fans who do not (or are not able to) subscribe to DirecTV. I already know the answer – money. At 700 M per season, they would have to sell an additional 4.7 M Sunday Ticket subscriptions to offset the loss of the exclusive deal with DirecTV. Boy that seems like a lot, but divide that by the 32 NFL teams and it comes to around 150 K subscriptions per NFL market, which seems much more do-able. Consider that approximately 50% of Americans pay for cable television, only 1.6% of cable TV subscribers would have to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket to offset the difference.
Some fault lies with the cable companies. They had an opportunity to bid on access but they apparently scoffed at the asking price. DirecTV has to bid that much to stay afloat, otherwise they have little to offer over the other satellite and cable providers. But you have to wonder what NFL Sunday Ticket is thinking. Surely, they have close ties with the NFL – wouldn’t it be better for the league if more people had access to the games of their favorite team? Wouldn’t their ratings increase if fans can change the channel from a blowout on local television to a tight game in the fourth quarter of a game across the country?
As I mentioned earlier, my favorite team, the Packers, are 1-6. Do I want to go down to the local sports bar to watch their games with a bunch of screaming fans rooting against me? Not really. Would I watch the game at home? Absolutely. Can I? Nope, because I live in a condo and can’t point a dish at the Southern horizon. Thanks a lot, Sunday Ticket.
