This came yesterday and I’m finally posting this. It’s the announcement from the National Football League and satellite provider DirecTV extending their agreement for out-of-market pay NFL Sunday Ticket package.
While the announcement does not mention any financial details, reports indicate that this is an eight-year deal and will cost DirecTV $1.5 billion annually.
New NFL-Sunday TIcket deal runs eight years and average license fee is $1.5 billion, per sources familiar with pact.
— Joe Flint (@JBFlint) October 1, 2014
With DirecTV in tow, the NFL will pull in an amazing $6.45 billion a year from its TV partners, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC and now DirecTV.
$6,450,000,000: Revenue NFL will pull in for television rights deals next year alone.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) October 1, 2014
As part of the agreement, DirecTV will continue to provide all out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games from CBS and Fox. It can stream games online via computers, mobiles and tablets and provide its popular Red Zone Channel service along with its new Fantasy Zone Channel.
Along with the new agreement, DirecTV subscribers can see NFL Network on the NFL Mobile app by using their account log-in credentials.
Here’s the announcement.
NFL AND DIRECTV EXTEND NFL SUNDAY TICKET IN NEW MULTI-YEAR DEAL
New Agreements Also Renew NFL Network with TV Everywhere, Expand DIRECTV’s Digital Rights and Continue Distribution of New DIRECTV FANTASY ZONE Channel
NEW YORK and EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 1, 2014 – The National Football League and DIRECTV have extended and expanded DIRECTV’s exclusive rights to carry NFL SUNDAY TICKET and its package of every Sunday afternoon out-of-market game through a new multi-year agreement.
The new agreement also expands DIRECTV’s rights to stream NFL SUNDAY TICKET live on mobile devices and via broadband, known as NFL SUNDAY TICKET.TV, as previously announced.
Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Under the new pact, DIRECTV will also continue to broadcast its RED ZONE CHANNEL and its new DIRECTV FANTASY ZONE channel that debuted this season. In addition, DIRECTV and the NFL also extended their NFL Network distribution relationship with DIRECTV to offer its customers TV Everywhere access to NFL Network anytime, anywhere on virtually any device.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with DIRECTV,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “DIRECTV and NFL SUNDAY TICKET have served our fans well for 20 years and continue to complement our broadcast television packages. We also appreciate DIRECTV’s commitment to NFL Network, which it has carried since the channel launched in 2003.”
“This new agreement is a testament to the terrific long-term relationship we have with the NFL and its millions of fans across the country,” said Mike White, chairman, president and CEO of DIRECTV. “NFL SUNDAY TICKET has always been the centerpiece of DIRECTV’s sports leadership and we’re pleased to continue our relationship with the NFL and be a part of the league’s future growth and success.”
Under the new NFL SUNDAY TICKET agreement, DIRECTV will continue to offer all out-of-market Sunday afternoon games in HD. DIRECTV customers who purchase NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX will also have access to the online/mobile service to watch their games on virtually any device; a Game Mix channel with up to eight games on one screen; both the RED ZONE CHANNEL and new DIRECTV FANTASY ZONE channel; and Short Cuts, which offers replays of each Sunday game in 30 commercial-free minutes.
The new DIRECTV FANTASY ZONE channel is devoted entirely to fantasy football and fields a team of fantasy experts offering real-time game-to-game fantasy analysis and statistics powered by NFL.com Fantasy.
That will do it.
