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If you are like me, you are a fan of an NFL franchise and don’t live in the viewing area of said organization.
For me, I am obviously a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who now lives in Maryland. If I turn my television on during an NFL Sunday, I will see the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Redskins. There is the occasion when the Steelers will take over, due to the Ravens having a late game or a bye week, but those are few and far between.
So, how do I make sure I never miss a game?
Hello DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket!
I have been a Sunday Ticket subscriber for a long time, almost 10 years, and the product is remarkable. Not only do you get every game, but the picture-in-picture options and fantasy football trackers make the viewing experience awesome.
There aren’t a lot of negatives with the product, except one huge draw back — the price.
Some fans would rather go to a sports bar, listen to the game or try and use a shoddy online streaming service rather than shell out over $250 for the basic Sunday Ticket package.
Well, I have bad news for displaced fans like myself. The price is going up for the 2018-2019 season.
DirecTV is raising prices on its NFL Sunday Ticket package, which is the only way to watch every NFL game. The retail price will reach an all-time high of $293.94 in 2018, with the package that includes Red Zone Channel increasing to $395.95.
Many subscribers don’t pay full price, as DirecTV often offers discounts to entice new subscribers, or to convince current subscribers to renew. But the base price of the package is higher than ever.
The fact the NFL, with their viewer numbers going the wrong way, would not entice DirecTV to decrease the cost, or keep it the same, is beyond mind-boggling. Some fans are looking for a reason to stop following the National Football League, and the league office, who allowed DirecTV to have the rights to the Sunday Ticket package, are giving fans more reasons to stop watching.
However, as soon as I say this, I also realize I will pay for Sunday Ticket — even at nearly $300. Not only is following the Steelers a job now, but it is still a passion of mine. I can’t not watch the team, and I’m sure plenty of you reading this article are just like me.
With that said, will anyone not get Sunday Ticket, or may have already cancelled their subscription in previous years, due to the overall price? Let us know what you plan to do next season in the comment section below!