NFL Sunday Ticket has long been a must-have purchase for NFL fans who don’t live in the local area of their favorite team. The service, which started on DirecTV and transitioned to YouTube TV last season, allows fans of non-local teams to watch their favorite NFL games, even if they’re miles away, and is the only legal way for fans to do so.
(Please don’t bring any of that nonsense about illegal streaming and how great it is.)
Today in Los Angeles begins a crucial trial that could determine the future of NFL Sunday Ticket packages. If you want to learn more about what’s going on, Mark Schofield has a detailed explanation of what the trial means on this site. Check out that article if you want a full understanding of the trial, but we’ll try to summarize it here.
The gist of the lawsuit is the plaintiffs’ allegations that:
DirecTV “was able to charge ultra-competitive prices for Sunday Ticket because fans who didn’t want to pay for Sunday Ticket could not, for example, purchase out-of-market games individually or by team.” The plaintiffs argue that without this agreement, or what they call a “conspiracy,” fans would have been able to watch every NFL game at “lower prices.”
The ruling could impact how Sunday Ticket packages are handled and could potentially realize something many NFL fans have long wanted: the ability to purchase games on a variety of different basis, including by week or by team.
To be honest, if I had the opportunity, I would pay to watch the Red Zone channel because it would allow me to watch all the Minnesota Vikings games that aren’t primetime or available where I live, and because my viewing schedule usually consists of the Red Zone channel. If the Vikings play a game early on Sunday, I’ll turn on Red Zone after the game, and if they play a game later on Sunday, I’ll turn on Red Zone before the game. I’m not as interested in other individual games, but currently I need the Sunday Ticket package to watch the games I want to watch (like Vikings games), so I end up paying for all the games I’m not interested in. Other people may feel differently, but that’s my situation right now.
The trial is currently scheduled for 13 days, but a settlement could be reached before then. Again, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on as it could impact how many fans will be able to watch their favorite teams going forward.