Ned Flanders Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 It's not Directv doing the pricing. It's the NFL! Directv has absolutely no control over the yearly NFL Sunday Ticket subscription price. All they can do is make concessions through other offers or promotions (movie channels, DVRs, etc) That's pretty much true, ST is a money loser for DTV. ST is the only true tangible programming difference between DTV and Dish, cable, etc. DTV needs Sunday Ticket to help in the promotion of its overall programming package...without ST, DTV is just another provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 It's not Directv doing the pricing. It's the NFL! Directv has absolutely no control over the yearly NFL Sunday Ticket subscription price. All they can do is make concessions through other offers or promotions (movie channels, DVRs, etc) Although the price is a bit steep, it's obviously still worth it for displaced fans like myself. It's my one yearly indulgence and treat to myself. If I were still in Buffalo, I'd probably have season tickets (assuming I could find a decent paying job there). If left to the available programming here in the Atlanta market, I'd only see the Bills for the Monday night broadcast. The cost of the NFL ticket and HD/Superfan ripoff is still worth the price to be able to sit in my cozy den, with the smell of the pot roast slow cooking, my favorite beverage at my side, total control of the DVR remote so I can pause, FF, RW, adjust the volume, take a nap at halftime, etc. I was totally with you until the nap at halftime part. My adrenaline is running way too fast to fall asleep until well after the game is over - even the MNF games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigAL Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Amen, brotha. I've had some success getting DTV to waive the $99 fee, by the way, by getting to the "customer retention" department. It probably helps that I've been a customer since '94 and subscribe to just about everything they offer. I plan on telling them I am cancelling my NFL ticket package in the hope of them offering me the superfan package to keep it. Worth a try. I was pissed last year because I had my DVR set up to record the hi def Bills game after the trial period expired, and I missed a game. didn't know it was a trial period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurlyBurly51 Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Amen, brotha. I've had some success getting DTV to waive the $99 fee, by the way, by getting to the "customer retention" department. It probably helps that I've been a customer since '94 and subscribe to just about everything they offer. I'm in the same camp, but I'm hearing the days of cutting deals are over, even for long time subs who go to retention. Let us know if you have any success! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drg2021 Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Directv just bleeding you more....for the price of the NFL ticket package HD should be included !! Exactly,last season i waited until mid season and got the ticket and superfan for $179.I ll probably go that route again.It is a joke and should be included in the ticket price.For the first 8 weeks i go to a bar and watch the games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 It's not Directv doing the pricing. It's the NFL! Do you have any information to back that up? Just curious. Like I said, I work on the DIRECTV account. NFL and DIRECTV negotiated a multi-year deal IIRC. I was there when Superfan came down the pipeline, and IIRC it was a marketing department decision. The year before there was no SuperFan, and they were working under the same deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I'm in the same camp, but I'm hearing the days of cutting deals are over, even for long time subs who go to retention. Let us know if you have any success! I haven't seen that personally. As recently as April i upped my packages to their ultimate service ('Platinum' I think) and they threw in another HDVR at no charge. I've been given discounts/free maintenace and equipment all through my commitment -going back to the mid 90's. Like anything, you have to ask for it/imply that you think it should be free, including being prepared to politely ask to speak to their supervisor. Cheesy? Whatever, it works. Then again, they love me there!! ($$) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMan Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Do you have any information to back that up? Just curious. Like I said, I work on the DIRECTV account. NFL and DIRECTV negotiated a multi-year deal IIRC. I was there when Superfan came down the pipeline, and IIRC it was a marketing department decision. The year before there was no SuperFan, and they were working under the same deal. I was referring to the NFL Ticket rather than the Superfan thing. Not sure what involvement, if any, NFL has in the packaging of the Superfan offer. I'm sure the NFL has some say in it. It wouldn't surprise me if DTV makes less than no money on the Ticket. Superfan may be the bone the NFL throws to DTV so the satellite company can make some additional money from the NFL faithful. Who knows? You yungins gather 'round while pappy here tells you about the days before sports bar satellite TV and the best we could hope for was a static-y a.m. broadcast from some distant city carrying the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps we'd have to settle for the scoring recap and a 2 sentence blurb from the USA Today on Monday morning. Geez - the bad old days. It was like a national holiday when the Bills would actually be shown here on local Atlanta TV. I used to scour the local TV listings, hoping I'd see the Bills on the TV schedule. Even then, there was always a good possibilty it would be changed in favor of some other trendy team. Even though I think the NFL Ticket/Superfan combo price is a bit high and the NFL greedy, it's still a much appreciated luxury to sit in the comfort of my own home sweet home and know I can see EVERY Bills game - (as long as some monster storm doesn't blow through about the time I sit down to watch the game). Now, if we can just put a playoff contending team on the field............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 DirecTV needs to come out with a "one team" or "one division" package for something like $100 or $125 per season. I'd much rather pay that to get only the Bills games or simply the AFC East games than pay $250 to get the entire NFL. Especially because all of the NFL games are on at the same time. To me, it seems that you'd get a lot more customers. I am a broke ass grad student, so $250 for sunday ticket is too much, seeing how i only spend $10 per week to go watch the games at the bar (which i usually watch 12-13 games). It was My understanding that there was some kind of legislation coming down dealing with this exact issue...But I have not heard anything about it in a while...I heard that Direct TV was getting some pressure from Uncle Sam because Folks did not have enough options, and that there may be some question as to whether or not it was legal to force Folks to pay for every game without the option of picking certain Games, or one Team, etc... Like I said I have not heard anything in a while, and maybe I was just dreaming...lol...And not that it's a Financial problem for Me at all, but if I could I would just go with The Billa and The National Games I get here locally cause 4 out of 5 weeks that's what I do anyway...If there was a significant difference in Price that is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurlyBurly51 Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I haven't seen that personally. As recently as April i upped my packages to their ultimate service ('Platinum' I think) and they threw in another HDVR at no charge. I've been given discounts/free maintenace and equipment all through my commitment -going back to the mid 90's. Like anything, you have to ask for it/imply that you think it should be free, including being prepared to politely ask to speak to their supervisor. Cheesy? Whatever, it works. Then again, they love me there!! ($$) I know, I and others have been able to fenagle the SuperFan for free the past few years. But word is as it relates specifically to SuperFan that they will not be giving that away this year, no matter who or how nicely you ask or escalate to. I'm sure some will figure a way, but D* is supposedly well aware of this practice and proactively communicated no more subsidies. Many folks have supposedly called under the guise of cancelling ST altogether, and upon reaching retention promptly have the package removed from their account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I know, I and others have been able to fenagle the SuperFan for free the past few years. But word is as it relates specifically to SuperFan that they will not be giving that away this year, no matter who or how nicely you ask or escalate to. I'm sure some will figure a way, but D* is supposedly well aware of this practice and proactively communicated no more subsidies. Many folks have supposedly called under the guise of cancelling ST altogether, and upon reaching retention promptly have the package removed from their account. Absolutely true. It is extrememly difficult to get anything out of them these days. I have been a suscriber for four years, and it was like pulling teeth to get the HD-DVR discounted, I ended up paying $39.99 for it. In fact, they were going to let me cancel my Sunday Ticket before giving me any more. But when they were having trouble actually sending the HD signal to my dish, they wouldn't even budge on removeing that paltry <$40 fee, and allowed me to cancel my NHL Center Ice package. Good luck getting Super Fan for free, it's going to be hard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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