It looks like the juggernaut that is DirecTV is going to make getting its NFL Sunday Ticket package a little easier for non-satellite owners. The service that has been a staple of the company's programming arsenal is set to become the streaming service that users without a dish can subscribe to.
The NFL Sunday Ticket will now apply to homes that do not have the capability to install a satellite dish, such as apartment complexes. In addition to that, the service will be available at one of the 10 select universities the company has partnered with. So if you are able to get a satellite installed, this information does not apply to you!
The stranglehold that the Sunday Ticket package has had on NFL fans sounds like it is easing up after all these years. The service will still be pricey, though, with streaming plans that start at $199.99 that offer the ability to stream live out of market games in High Definition. According to Forbes, the lower level "digital" package will allow for streaming on both Android or iOS phones and tablets along with computers, but not on game consoles. To use video game consoles, the "Console" package will start at $239.99 but the service will not work on phones, tablets or computers. If the subscriber wants to watch the service on all of their devices, you will need to subscribe to the $329.99 "Max" package.
The long time exclusive agreement between the NFL and DirecTV has been a profitable venture for many years. Their arrangement is set to expire after the 2014 season, and it looks like other giant companies are circling the NFL to make a deal to acquire the rights to the games. Currently, DirecTV pays the NFL $1 billion a year to offer its Sunday Ticket service. The three new streaming plans are available to purchase via the DirectTV website. This will be the first time that the Sunday Ticket service will be available without having the signature satellite dish of DirecTV.
DirecTV and the NFL are currently negotiating to extend the exclusivity of the Sunday Ticket package. The popularity of the Sunday Ticket package has piqued other giant company's interest, most notably the search engine behemoth Google. In fact, Google has already met with the NFL about possibly brokering a deal for after the 2014 football season. It is unclear how the new streaming plans will do, but it certainly will be interesting to see how many new subscribers sign up.
