Also Comcast is mad they couldn't get the Thursday-Saturday package for Versus and it went to NFLN instead. But they know they'll never leverage that one, so their going after the Sunday Ticket.
Now admittedly I think it's kind of stupid of the NFL to sell Sunday Ticket exclusively to DirecTV, I think they could make more selling it to both the satelite networks and all the big cable companies. But it's their package they can sell it how they want.
Absolutely correct.
Now admittedly I think it's kind of stupid of the NFL to sell Sunday Ticket exclusively to DirecTV, I think they could make more selling it to both the satelite networks and all the big cable companies. But it's their package they can sell it how they want.
IMHO, The NFL is a lot of things, but they are not stupid.
When the NFL negotiates TV contracts, they make sure there is always at least one bidder left out on the cold. They basically Fox a legitimate network when they called NBC's bluff in 94, when NBC thought the NFL would stay with them despite a lowball offer. Now, the creation of the NFL network puts additional longterm pressure on the networks - pay up, or we'll pull the entire package and put it on the company channel.
What they give up financially in the short term, they more than make up for in the long run by making the networks walk on eggshells.
It's the same thing with Sunday Ticket - DirecTV meets their price and demands, because they know the NFL can pull the plug on them and/or move the whole package to digital cable at any time.
My bad - CBS was left out in the cold in 94, not NBC.
CBS got back in the game with the AFC package in 2000, leaving NBC out. Now NBC is back in and ABC is out.hts
In the process, rights fees are up around 500 percent in a 20 year span.