PFT: Apple is "likely" landing Sunday Ticket

[ChronicCowboy]

Yeah everyone says that but ratings and rev keep climbing

When has the quality of something been solely determined by its popularity? Are McNuggets a quality product? Or are they fried soy filler that please the non-discerning masses?

 

[Diehardblues]

Sounds like another brilliant financial decision by Goodell and the NFL as we move to streaming sources with Amazon for Thursday Night Football this season and the Sunday NFL Ticket next year.

Not a more watched or greater entertainment value than the NFL.

 

[Creeper]

There are 1.65 billion Apple devices active in the world. As of Q1, 2021, DirecTV had 15.9 million paying customers--and dwindling. It would take a little more than 9/10 of one percent of Apple users to put more eyeballs on Sunday Ticket than look at DirecTV at any time for any reason.

We do not know how Apple will offer the NFL Sunday Ticket to customers but I would think they will offer it as a package on their streaming service, not as an app on their devices. Although, they may offer it as an app too. Apple TV has only 10 million subscribers despite the 1.65 billion Apple devices out there.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

Sounds like another brilliant financial decision by Goodell and the NFL as we move to streaming sources with Amazon for Thursday Night Football this season and the Sunday NFL Ticket next year.

Not a more watched or greater entertainment value than the NFL.

Are you a bot? That looks like a scripted marketing blurb.

 

[McKDaddy]

Does anyone know if this deal kills Yahoo's streaming rights?

You could stream games on Yahoo (on mobile devices) and get just about any broadcast game.

Since ST will now be a streaming option I fear that means Yahoo will lose this feature.

 

[Diehardblues]

Are you a bot? That looks like a scripted marketing blurb.

What is a bot?

 

[dckid]

Rules get more convoluted…players get more preferential treatment….officiating gets more inconsistent and murky….the sport continues to get corrupted by corporate influence.

But feel free to ignore that stuff and enjoy the big muscles and millisecond increases in speed.

Hey I hear what you are saying. I am a traditionalist but I am sure the fans in the 70's and 80's were gripping about the AFL, NFL merger, the increased dependency on passing, oving away from the wishbone, why did they move the goal posts to the back of the endzone, they added a facemask, they stopped the headslap.

I think the QB is over protected, I miss the days of a bell cow RB, there won't be another Emmit or Walter, I think receivers get preferential treatment. All these changes happened over years. The Pats mauled WR's against the Rams and the Colts then the NFL came back and modified the rules.
I think the NFL has been smart about dealing with concussions, if a player gets a concussion during a game yes he should not come back in...
It's a fluid league

 

[lurkercowboy]

Does Apple TV have a DVR feature?

 

[ChronicCowboy]

Hey I hear what you are saying. I am a traditionalist but I am sure the fans in the 70's and 80's were gripping about the AFL, NFL merger, the increased dependency on passing, oving away from the wishbone, why did they move the goal posts to the back of the endzone, they added a facemask, they stopped the headslap.

I think the QB is over protected, I miss the days of a bell cow RB, there won't be another Emmit or Walter, I think receivers get preferential treatment. All these changes happened over years. The Pats mauled WR's against the Rams and the Colts then the NFL came back and modified the rules.
I think the NFL has been smart about dealing with concussions, if a player gets a concussion during a game yes he should not come back in...
It's a fluid league

You’re over simplifying my stance. I’m fine with the playing style changes. I’m not fine with the league coddling players and creating rules that make results easily manipulated. Everything just seems more manufactured and less authentic now. That can be said for most things n society though.

 

[VACowboy]

We do not know how Apple will offer the NFL Sunday Ticket to customers

Yet people are complaining already.

I would think they will offer it as a package on their streaming service not as an app on their devices. Although, they may offer it as an app too. Apple TV has only 10 million subscribers despite the 1.65 billion Apple devices out there.

I think you're right but Amazon or any other streaming service would be doing the same and it doesn't change my point. Someone said the NFL is making a dumb decision by choosing Apple for Sunday Ticket and I'm pointing out that they aren't. There are 153 million Amazon Prime customers. What percentage of them would buy Sunday Ticket? Right or wrong and for whatever reasons, Apple users are notoriously willing to pay for apps and services, far more than users of any other platform. There's a lot of them, and if .96% of them buy Sunday Ticket Apple not only has more Sunday Ticket viewers than DTV ever did, but more Sunday Ticket viewers than there are DirecTV customers in the world. Yes, there's only 10 million Apple TV+ subscribers after two years of existence, but DirecTV has amassed a whopping 15.9 mil customers since 1994, and its numbers are falling. I actually think Apple TV+ is doing a pretty remarkable job for a service with all-original content, but we're not talking about Apple TV+. We're talking about the NFL, the biggest draw in American television by far, and Apple users will pay to watch it. I'm very curious to see how Apple will package Sunday Ticket. However they do it, the money it generates will be pocket change for Apple and certainly not the reason they want to stream the NFL, so I think they'll price and structure it for maximum sales, maximum eyes on Apple devices and products, and that's what this is all about.

 

[glimmerman]

I thought they did, This might be for 2023 and beyond.

I would like to know what the others bid on it, if at all. Amazon has already shown the interest in the NFL but I wonder if they put that business model under the microsope and was that ATT has been losing money on it for years.

Because of what the nets pay the NFL, the games are not big profit makers but they follow the FOX model and use that for programming promotion as they did when they were new. Half the commercial inventory is used for recycling audience.

Where Amazon and Netflix are right now, do they really need that? Apple doesn't want to see the strongest get stronger since they are the weakest of all the streamers. Streaming is product driven and are not keeping up.

I don't think the streamers that are already successful see the Sunday Ticket as necessary for the money.

Directv is going down. With all the channels making streaming apps you don’t need to pay 120 bucks plus every month. I am either canceling or putting mine in vacation mode for the next few months. Was hoping someone would get a legal streaming app that allows you to pick a team and get all the games. Or pay per game.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Me…
I had an iPhone since 2008. And 1st iPad in 2011
I dumped Microsoft crap in 2017, went to Mac. Have not regretted it. Never an issue with my Mac as I have had with numerous brands that had Microsoft ripoff bug infested slow as molasses software after their constant updates.
I have bought Apple stock off and on this 2014. Have not lost money yet.

However, I want to see what the cost and plans are. As I said in another post, I got NFL ST free 4 of the last 5 years. And supposed to get it free again this year. So maybe they will give a last minute bid to keep it.

Well I would like to say congratulations. If you are on the Apple ride and continue to be then you have all the brains you need. Well done!!!

All football stuff aside, you just impressed me.

I sold my business in 2018, invested in Apple and never looked back. Been in Apple since 2009.

I dont think people understand that all you have to do is buy apple. Its a once in a lifetime event.

 

[AmericanCowboy]

Honestly this is way better than dealing with DirectTV. Apple at least you can probably get a free trial with a new phone or something.

 

[VaqueroTD]

If apple offers just Sunday ticket you can pay to stream. Ok. I’ll get it.

if they want me to subscribe to Apple TV to have access. Pass.

Of course you will have to, it’s the only reason why they would spend a gabillion dollars for the rights.

Best subscriber booster in the market. It’s the same reason Direct TV will be dead soon too.

I really thought Amazon was going to win this one. Big win for Apple if they get it.

My guess is Amazon backed off since they already have a package, or the NFL is the one that did that because they always seem to like to spread the love through different networks and packages.

I will say that I think the sports leagues going to streaming TV is a much better option than the last several years where they went to premium cable or satellite television. Better deals, better options, and more accessible for the most part unless you still live in a rural area with crummy Internet. Do those places still exist?

 

[Creeper]

Yet people are complaining already.


I think you're right but Amazon or any other streaming service would be doing the same and it doesn't change my point. Someone said the NFL is making a dumb decision by choosing Apple for Sunday Ticket and I'm pointing out that they aren't. There are 153 million Amazon Prime customers. What percentage of them would buy Sunday Ticket? Right or wrong and for whatever reasons, Apple users are notoriously willing to pay for apps and services, far more than users of any other platform. There's a lot of them, and if .96% of them buy Sunday Ticket Apple not only has more Sunday Ticket viewers than DTV ever did, but more Sunday Ticket viewers than there are DirecTV customers in the world. Yes, there's only 10 million Apple TV+ subscribers after two years of existence, but DirecTV has amassed a whopping 15.9 mil customers since 1994, and its numbers are falling. I actually think Apple TV+ is doing a pretty remarkable job for a service with all-original content, but we're not talking about Apple TV+. We're talking about the NFL, the biggest draw in American television by far, and Apple users will pay to watch it. I'm very curious to see how Apple will package Sunday Ticket. However they do it, the money it generates will be pocket change for Apple and certainly not the reason they want to stream the NFL, so I think they'll price and structure it for maximum sales, maximum eyes on Apple devices and products, and that's what this is all about.

DirecTV has been losing customers. They once had over 25 million. So clearly having exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket has not helped them gain or retain customers.

But my point was not that the NFL made a dumb business decision. If Apple offered them $2.5 billion as reported then they are paying twice the amount DirecTV paid. I would say that was a savvy decision. My point is it was a bad decision for NFL fans. As a fan I would prefer that the NFL not give an exclusive rights deal to any one streaming service but instead sell the rights to multiple services and let them compete for customers. But all of this could be moot if the NFL does create its own streaming service as has been reported. Although I doubt Apple would have paid $2.5 billion and not have exclusive rights.

We won't really know how good or bad this deal is until we see what Apple will be offering to customers and for how much. If Apple wants $293 like DirecTV did then I imagine they will not do much better with Sunday Ticket than DirecTV did. Apple does have one advantage though, you don't need to mount a dish and get satellite boxes installed in your home to activate their package. And their monthly Apple TV subscription price is about 1/10 of the DirecTV subscription price.

What we as fans hope to see is the package offered for less than $300 per season, or better yet, sub packages that include pay per view options or team selections rather than purchasing every game. DirecTV raised the price of Sunday Ticket despite the NFL scheduling more and more games not played on Sunday and covered by Sunday ticket.

 

[VACowboy]

DirecTV has been losing customers. They once had over 25 million. So clearly having exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket has not helped them gain or retain customers.

But my point was not that the NFL made a dumb business decision. If Apple offered them $2.5 billion as reported then they are paying twice the amount DirecTV paid. I would say that was a savvy decision. My point is it was a bad decision for NFL fans. As a fan I would prefer that the NFL not give an exclusive rights deal to any one streaming service but instead sell the rights to multiple services and let them compete for customers. But all of this could be moot if the NFL does create its own streaming service as has been reported. Although I doubt Apple would have paid $2.5 billion and not have exclusive rights.

We won't really know how good or bad this deal is until we see what Apple will be offering to customers and for how much. If Apple wants $293 like DirecTV did then I imagine they will not do much better with Sunday Ticket than DirecTV did. Apple does have one advantage though, you don't need to mount a dish and get satellite boxes installed in your home to activate their package. And their monthly Apple TV subscription price is about 1/10 of the DirecTV subscription price.

What we as fans hope to see is the package offered for less than $300 per season, or better yet, sub packages that include pay per view options or team selections rather than purchasing every game. DirecTV raised the price of Sunday Ticket despite the NFL scheduling more and more games not played on Sunday and covered by Sunday ticket.

We agree on everything but the idea that Netflix or Amazon would get more Sunday Ticket viewers than Apple. The only way that happens is if they make it part of their subscription, and I don't think they're any more inclined to give Sunday Ticket away than Apple is. The NFL isn't a revenue generator for anybody, but it does bring the most eyes with it of any television product out there. DTV was stupid. They way overpriced the product, and I'd bet my *** that Apple won't do that. Apple isn't AT&T. The company is very selective about its investments. They're paying a lot of money to buy into the NFL, for very specific reasons, and they're not gonna let it wither on the vine.

 

[Creeper]

We agree on everything but the idea that Netflix or Amazon would get more Sunday Ticket viewers than Apple. The only way that happens is if they make it part of their subscription, and I don't think they're any more inclined to give Sunday Ticket away than Apple is. The NFL isn't a revenue generator for anybody, but it does bring the most eyes with it of any television product out there. DTV was stupid. They way overpriced the product, and I'd bet my *** that Apple won't do that. Apple isn't AT&T. The company is very selective about its investments. They're paying a lot of money to buy into the NFL, for very specific reasons, and they're not gonna let it wither on the vine.

I am not sure why you are so optimistic about Apple. There are some basic economic facts in play. Apple wants to make a profit on NFL Sunday Ticket. And to do that they need to recoup what they paid for the rights plus whatever operating costs they incur to offer the package. We have no idea what Apple has planned or what their logic was in buying the rights from the NFL. But just remember that Apple reportedly paid $2.5 billion per year for the Sunday Ticket. Just to cover the purchase price Apple would need between 7 million and 8.5 million customers to pay $293 per year, the current DirecTV price, for the package. Obviously there are operating costs that would have to be recovered as well. Sunday Ticket currently has 2 million subscribers and 450,000 of them only joined when they were offered a steep discount. Only 10% of DirecTV's customers signed up for Sunday Ticket. You can see why AT&T could not wait to get out from their contract with the NFL.

 

[CouchCoach]

Does Apple TV have a DVR feature?

I do not think any of the streamers offer that.

 

[CouchCoach]

I am not sure why you are so optimistic about Apple. There are some basic economic facts in play. Apple wants to make a profit on NFL Sunday Ticket. And to do that they need to recoup what they paid for the rights plus whatever operating costs they incur to offer the package. We have no idea what Apple has planned or what their logic was in buying the rights from the NFL. But just remember that Apple reportedly paid $2.5 billion per year for the Sunday Ticket. Just to cover the purchase price Apple would need between 7 million and 8.5 million customers to pay $293 per year, the current DirecTV price, for the package. Obviously there are operating costs that would have to be recovered as well. Sunday Ticket currently has 2 million subscribers and 450,000 of them only joined when they were offered a steep discount. Only 10% of DirecTV's customers signed up for Sunday Ticket. You can see why AT&T could not wait to get out from their contract with the NFL.

It wasn't ATT, it was DirecTV since they were no longer be owned by ATT.

The purchase of DirecTV was not popular with many of the ATT management and with very few DirecTV people. It has not been a good marriage. They could not wait to get out from under the ATT label and John Oliver helped that along on HBO by needling the ATT brass every week.....every week. And he wasn't kidding, he hates ATT.

 

[VACowboy]

I am not sure why you are so optimistic about Apple. There are some basic economic facts in play. Apple wants to make a profit on NFL Sunday Ticket. And to do that they need to recoup what they paid for the rights plus whatever operating costs they incur to offer the package. We have no idea what Apple has planned or what their logic was in buying the rights from the NFL. But just remember that Apple reportedly paid $2.5 billion per year for the Sunday Ticket. Just to cover the purchase price Apple would need between 7 million and 8.5 million customers to pay $293 per year, the current DirecTV price, for the package. Obviously there are operating costs that would have to be recovered as well. Sunday Ticket currently has 2 million subscribers and 450,000 of them only joined when they were offered a steep discount. Only 10% of DirecTV's customers signed up for Sunday Ticket. You can see why AT&T could not wait to get out from their contract with the NFL.

The networks barely break even on the NFL in non-Superbowl years. They don't buy the NFL for the direct big bucks. They buy the NFL for the bright light it shines on their platforms, and Apple is no different. It won't surprise me at all if Apple takes a loss on subscriptions.