NFL,Directv facing another lawsuit over Sunday Ticket

As my business law professor drilled into my head years ago - the number 1 thing you have to prove in an antitrust lawsuit is concerted action in restraint of trade. Should be a slam dunk, but the NFL with their billions of dollars will have the best lawyers in the business. The loophole here is that consumers still have access to the NFL without Sunday Ticket. Just not all the teams they would want to see.

The Sunday Ticket is a real racket though. Got if for my father couple years back who lives in Western New York and there have been several times where he still can't see the Bills play because DirectTV won't play it because it's "on" in his local area, but in reality it's blacked out.

I think the more interesting possible outcome, based on the lawsuit vs NBA (??) was the ability to customize your Sunday ticket to pay for only the team you're interested in. When Direct TV first started, I used to be able to have a reduced price for only picking up the Portland Trailblazers' games. Would love to do that with the Miami games.

"Ohio Fanatic wrote:

I think the more interesting possible outcome, based on the lawsuit vs NBA (??) was the ability to customize your Sunday ticket to pay for only the team you're interested in. When Direct TV first started, I used to be able to have a reduced price for only picking up the Portland Trailblazers' games. Would love to do that with the Miami games.

That's all I want, too.

"Ohio Fanatic wrote:

I think the more interesting possible outcome, based on the lawsuit vs NBA (??) was the ability to customize your Sunday ticket to pay for only the team you're interested in. When Direct TV first started, I used to be able to have a reduced price for only picking up the Portland Trailblazers' games. Would love to do that with the Miami games.

This is the dream. Hell, let us pick a division at least

While I would love to be able to buy Fins games through DirecTV at a lower price than what I pay for the whole package, I do enjoy being able to watch the game of my choice (or Redzone) at 1 or 4 when the Fins game isn't on. Beyond that though, big picture, my worry is that something will come of this and DirecTV, who I get my TV through and I really like, may lose the package entirely. I cannot get cable or any other format of TV where I live, so Sunday Ticket is one of the few things I have going for me at my house. If I were to lose that, I'd have to drive 40+ minutes ever week to watch the games at a sportsbar and shell out money for lunch, which would likely be more expensive in the long term than what I pay for the package at my house.

I'd be shocked if they aren't forced to make changes. Similar lawsuits were already filed against the NBA and NHL resulting in major changes giving consumers the ability to purchase specific teams etc.

The NFL allows you to pay a reduce price for just one team with their NFL GameRewind or NFL GamePass (only available outside the US). So it would be interesting to hear how they would try to defend not doing this with DirectTV.

I was really surprised when the NFL renewed their contract with DirectTV this past year. Since they now have the ability to stream their games live (NFL GamePass) I would have thought they would have gone it alone.

"VManis wrote:

The NFL allows you to pay a reduce price for just one team with their NFL GameRewind or NFL GamePass (only available outside the US). So it would be interesting to hear how they would try to defend not doing this with DirectTV.

I was really surprised when the NFL renewed their contract with DirectTV this past year. Since they now have the ability to stream their games live (NFL GamePass) I would have thought they would have gone it alone.

And screwed over anyone who doesn't have an awesome internet connection? Even if only for the sake of making as much money as they can, I don't think that would be a good business decesion.

Speaking of DTV.. anyone made their annual call to them for the Sunday Ticket at a reduced price? Curious what the deals are this year, especially with the whole AT&T thing on the horizon...

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

And screwed over anyone who doesn't have an awesome internet connection? Even if only for the sake of making as much money as they can, I don't think that would be a good business decesion.

As oppose to forcing people to buy a satellite service that they don't want and is over priced?

I love DirecTV. The cost is cheaper than sitting in a bar every week. I get all the games and they stream it to my phone. The "reduced" cost is barely less than the whole package. Plus I can get it in my trailer as I'm sitting at the beach. Leave em alone and don't eff it up for me.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

While I would love to be able to buy Fins games through DirecTV at a lower price than what I pay for the whole package, I do enjoy being able to watch the game of my choice (or Redzone) at 1 or 4 when the Fins game isn't on. Beyond that though, big picture, my worry is that something will come of this and DirecTV, who I get my TV through and I really like, may lose the package entirely. I cannot get cable or any other format of TV where I live, so Sunday Ticket is one of the few things I have going for me at my house. If I were to lose that, I'd have to drive 40+ minutes ever week to watch the games at a sportsbar and shell out money for lunch, which would likely be more expensive in the long term than what I pay for the package at my house.

True Story...when I was in my late teens and early twenties(19-23) my wife and I lived in a town with Population about 5,000....there was no cablevision in the town and it was before Satellite Dish' became popular and affordable...back then the Dolphins always played their games covered by NBC and our NBC Channel was out of Daytona Beach which was 150 miles north of us and the Antenna with booster would not bring the channel in clear on our TV.....so my wife loved to shop,(usually window shop only back then) so we would load up in the car and drive to the next town north of us which was Melbourne and it was about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic as well as the route taken. We would go to Sears(usually) or another department store and while she shopped I would stand in the TV department and they always would have the game on, to watch my Dolphins..usually every week there were about the same 5-7 of us guys watching the game and what was cool was that the store did not mind us being there..this thread just brought those memories back to me...it was really a pain to have to do that though...Lol.

"Paul 13 wrote:

Speaking of DTV.. anyone made their annual call to them for the Sunday Ticket at a reduced price? Curious what the deals are this year, especially with the whole AT&T thing on the horizon...

I sure don't know but I may be finding out soon as my AT&T u-verse has gone from $160 per month last year to $272 this year..cannot afford that and the price is unacceptable...nothing what-so-ever added on and our internet is not that fast being that we are at the very end of the slick that supplies our neighborhood...I may go to three different companies for phone, internet, and TV because with this setup, it will be the most affordable by far. Probably go with Comcast for internet, have not decided yet which company for TV...still researching, and either Vontage or Majic jack for telephone because I still like to have a landline because cell reception here is horrible at my house....does anyone have any suggestions? I would appreciate any help with my dilemma....I kinda wish I still knew where to find the black box to purchase...Lol.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

While I would love to be able to buy Fins games through DirecTV at a lower price than what I pay for the whole package, I do enjoy being able to watch the game of my choice (or Redzone) at 1 or 4 when the Fins game isn't on. Beyond that though, big picture, my worry is that something will come of this and DirecTV, who I get my TV through and I really like, may lose the package entirely. I cannot get cable or any other format of TV where I live, so Sunday Ticket is one of the few things I have going for me at my house. If I were to lose that, I'd have to drive 40+ minutes ever week to watch the games at a sportsbar and shell out money for lunch, which would likely be more expensive in the long term than what I pay for the package at my house.

That's my concern as well. I tend to watch more than just Miami games so I wouldn't shift to a smaller package. My issue is that I don't watch a ton of other TV. I'm grandfathered in to my DirecTV package so I don't have to have a basic subscription with DirecTV to keep my Sunday Ticket. I don't have cable either. Other than local antenna channels I get all of my football through the Sunday Ticket. I would love it if somehow this resulted in a change to the ESPN games. Those are the ones that I sometimes can't get. I end up having to go to a bar or watching them later through Game Rewind.

"Fin4Ever wrote:

True Story...when I was in my late teens and early twenties(19-23) my wife and I lived in a town with Population about 5,000....there was no cablevision in the town and it was before Satellite Dish' became popular and affordable...back then the Dolphins always played their games covered by NBC and our NBC Channel was out of Daytona Beach which was 150 miles north of us and the Antenna with booster would not bring the channel in clear on our TV.....so my wife loved to shop,(usually window shop only back then) so we would load up in the car and drive to the next town north of us which was Melbourne and it was about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic as well as the route taken. We would go to Sears(usually) or another department store and while she shopped I would stand in the TV department and they always would have the game on, to watch my Dolphins..usually every week there were about the same 5-7 of us guys watching the game and what was cool was that the store did not mind us being there..this thread just brought those memories back to me...it was really a pain to have to do that though...Lol.

great story :yes:

"VManis wrote:

As oppose to forcing people to buy a satellite service that they don't want and is over priced?

No one is forcing you to buy anything. You can even get it on your ps4 or mobile devices without having a Directv subscription.

"Finatik wrote:

I love DirecTV. The cost is cheaper than sitting in a bar every week. I get all the games and they stream it to my phone. The "reduced" cost is barely less than the whole package. Plus I can get it in my trailer as I'm sitting at the beach. Leave em alone and don't eff it up for me.

I never pay full price for the Ticket. Anyone who does is silly. I don't think I've ever paid more than $120, for everything Sunday Ticket related. Even at $120, that's less than $10 a game, for just the Dolphins games. All the other games, plus access on my other devices, is just gravy. I agree, though, they should just lower the price for everyone. I always call and complain that new customers are getting the Ticket for free, and they're trying to charge me almost $400.

"Fin4Ever wrote:

True Story...when I was in my late teens and early twenties(19-23) my wife and I lived in a town with Population about 5,000....there was no cablevision in the town and it was before Satellite Dish' became popular and affordable...back then the Dolphins always played their games covered by NBC and our NBC Channel was out of Daytona Beach which was 150 miles north of us and the Antenna with booster would not bring the channel in clear on our TV.....so my wife loved to shop,(usually window shop only back then) so we would load up in the car and drive to the next town north of us which was Melbourne and it was about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic as well as the route taken. We would go to Sears(usually) or another department store and while she shopped I would stand in the TV department and they always would have the game on, to watch my Dolphins..usually every week there were about the same 5-7 of us guys watching the game and what was cool was that the store did not mind us being there..this thread just brought those memories back to me...it was really a pain to have to do that though...Lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rKeqPEGMvM

Put on your Sunday best...LOL

"Paul 13 wrote:

great story :yes:

Thanks Paul....anything to see the Dolphins.:hi5:

"CashInFist wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rKeqPEGMvM

Put on your Sunday best...LOL

Lol....too funny..Thanks.:up:

"resnor wrote:

No one is forcing you to buy anything. You can even get it on your ps4 or mobile devices without having a Directv subscription.

I never pay full price for the Ticket. Anyone who does is silly. I don't think I've ever paid more than $120, for everything Sunday Ticket related. Even at $120, that's less than $10 a game, for just the Dolphins games. All the other games, plus access on my other devices, is just gravy. I agree, though, they should just lower the price for everyone. I always call and complain that new customers are getting the Ticket for free, and they're trying to charge me almost $400.

I called last year and the full price for me (240) was significantly lower than previous years.

"Paul 13 wrote:

Speaking of DTV.. anyone made their annual call to them for the Sunday Ticket at a reduced price? Curious what the deals are this year, especially with the whole AT&T thing on the horizon...

I called them and got a one time credit of $20 to my account immediately and $9/mo off the Sunday Ticket bill which reduced it to about $33/mo. So basically, I got it for about $200 - $20 credit = $180 total. That was the very best I could get, with threatening to cancel DirecTV altogether and going up as far I could taking to supervisors.

I called on Sunday to see if they could offer me any deals. The tech said no but sent me to retention. I explained to them that usually they credit me a payment off and have done this for several years.
She said I got a better deal for you. Free Sunday Ticket and $30 off my entire bill for a year. All with credits.
She said it helped that I've had ST for 12 years and have never missed a DTV payment in that time. She told me to call back next year.
Told me there is a good chance I will never have to pay for it again.

I go to Bdub's and watch the games. Ended up making friends w/ another Dolphin fan there. We drove up to the Lions game last year and I'm taking him Monday to get an MRI. :up: