News: Class Action Lawsuit filed vs DIRECTV and the NFL over Sunday Ticket

[WoodysGirl]

Earlier this month, we told you about the National Hockey League settling a lawsuit over its Gamecenter out-of-market package which displaced fans had to buy all games in order to see their favorite teams. The settlement will allow fans to buy single-team packages so they won’t have to buy the entire Gamecenter package. In the wake of that settlement, the NBA quickly announced that it would offer single-game and single-team options for League Pass.

After the NBA and NHL announced they would relax their requirements on their pay packages, the next target has been set on the National Football League and its venerable Sunday Ticket that’s offered on DirecTV. Like the NBA and NHL bundles were previously offered, fans must buy the entire Sunday Ticket package and there are no single-game, single-team or week-by-week options.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in California federal court against DirecTV and the NFL seeking to break up Sunday Ticket into similar options as the NBA and NHL packages. The suit filed by Thomas Abrahamian alleges by putting Sunday Ticket on DirecTV only, it’s an illegal monopoly. Plus, “the League is able to require purchasers of NFL Sunday Ticket to buy all ‘out-of-market’ games of all the League’s teams even if the fan is only interested in a particular team or a particular game. Thus, a Cleveland Browns fan living in California cannot watch the Browns play, except occasional games on network television, unless he purchases theentire package of League games from NFL Sunday Ticket.”


Read the rest: http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/cla...s-directv-and-the-nfl-over-sunday-ticket.html

 

[xvendettax914]

I live in NY and would love nothing more than to be able to buy single games.

 

[Rogah]

Someone should file a lawsuit challenging the notion of DirecTV having a monopoly on the Sunday Ticket in the first place. They really only get away with it because they are unofficially grandfathered in. I remember some time ago MLB tried to implement the same thing for themselves and Congress smacked them so hard, their heads are still spinning.

 

[Tabascocat]

No way that I can prove this to you non-believers out there, but........

When we returned from San Francisco two years ago back to Houston, I was able to buy Dallas single game tickets. We stayed with my mom for a month until the renters got of our house. I did not want to add the package to mom's bill so I called them and they told me to just buy that one game each Sunday.

I purchased three games, maybe that is what is not going on here..........

 

[Floatyworm]

About time.....Directv has gotten away w/ Murder for years

I finally cancelled my subscription last year......didn't miss it. Only had to go to the bar twice to catch the Cowboys

& Directv

 

[lostar2009]

Heck is what like $200 something for a season ? Heck if they break up the games they can have it not worth buying weekly or single games. They could easily charge $50 a game.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Heck is what like $200 something for a season ? Heck if they break up the games they can have it not worth buying weekly or single games. They could easily charge $50 a game.

Yep. They would actually make more money on a per-game or per-team basis by charging outrageous amounts. That needs to be regulated too.

 

[The Natural]

I havent followed the League Pass suit that much, I know previously I was paying somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30 per month to watch any 5 teams of my choice (NBA League Pass) anyone have an idea of what the going rate will be to follow an individual team? Trying to get a gauge of what the cost would be for football..not sure if it would be a per month or per game fee.

 

[lostar2009]

Yep. They would actually make more money on a per-game or per-team basis by charging outrageous amounts. That needs to be regulated too.

Yeah I can't see a judge can tell a company how to charge for an event.

 

[illhurtya]

Someone should file a lawsuit challenging the notion of DirecTV having a monopoly on the Sunday Ticket in the first place. They really only get away with it because they are unofficially grandfathered in. I remember some time ago MLB tried to implement the same thing for themselves and Congress smacked them so hard, their heads are still spinning.

Not true. They are not grandfathered in and the "monopoly" you speak of only exists because the NFL accepted their bid of 1.5 billion dollars anually for exclusive rights to the package. Every other provider had an opportunity to aquire the NFL Sunday Ticket, but as they say money talks.... But lets not let facts get in the way of a good story.

 

[pacy]

Doesn't DirecTV offer Sunday Ticket for free with their packages?
I mean, its out of-of-market games only but I can watch the local team on the local channel.
Am I missing something?

 

[WoodysGirl]

You can order single games. They're like $40 per, tho. You get access to the game and red zone for the day.

 

[Frozen700]

Until they offer single game packages, I'm doing it the illegal way. Me and my bestfriend never miss games of our favorite teams.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

Earlier this month, we told you about the National Hockey League settling a lawsuit over its Gamecenter out-of-market package which displaced fans had to buy all games in order to see their favorite teams. The settlement will allow fans to buy single-team packages so they won’t have to buy the entire Gamecenter package. In the wake of that settlement, the NBA quickly announced that it would offer single-game and single-team options for League Pass.

After the NBA and NHL announced they would relax their requirements on their pay packages, the next target has been set on the National Football League and its venerable Sunday Ticket that’s offered on DirecTV. Like the NBA and NHL bundles were previously offered, fans must buy the entire Sunday Ticket package and there are no single-game, single-team or week-by-week options.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in California federal court against DirecTV and the NFL seeking to break up Sunday Ticket into similar options as the NBA and NHL packages. The suit filed by Thomas Abrahamian alleges by putting Sunday Ticket on DirecTV only, it’s an illegal monopoly. Plus, “the League is able to require purchasers of NFL Sunday Ticket to buy all ‘out-of-market’ games of all the League’s teams even if the fan is only interested in a particular team or a particular game. Thus, a Cleveland Browns fan living in California cannot watch the Browns play, except occasional games on network television, unless he purchases theentire package of League games from NFL Sunday Ticket.”


Read the rest: http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/cla...s-directv-and-the-nfl-over-sunday-ticket.html

mark me as a pessimist but I don't suspect 1iota benefit to us, the end user/customer from this money grab

 

[Spectre]

Is it just me, or do McDonald's hamburgers have more of that black-peppery taste than they used to?

 

[jazzcat22]

Is it just me, or do McDonald's hamburgers have more of that black-peppery taste than they used to?

Doesn't matter, they still suck....Wendy's is better....

 

[jobberone]

Allowing any network to bid makes it a free market and the price is competitive. $50 a pop for a single game is really cheaper than going to the game.

 

[DogFace]

Allowing any network to bid makes it a free market and the price is competitive. $50 a pop for a single game is really cheaper than going to the game.

I don't think going to the game and watching it at home is a fair comparison. 50$ is too much to watch a 3 hour program on TV. Imo.

 

[Fredd]

Allowing any network to bid makes it a free market and the price is competitive. $50 a pop for a single game is really cheaper than going to the game.

especially when you live 1,500 miles away from dallas, like me...I will continue to just grab the games on-line, you can ALWAYS find them on line for free if they aren't on your local tv

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Please make this happen, and please allow it to happen via online streaming (please).