NFL SUNDAY TICKET AGREEMENT
THROUGH 2014 SEASON

New “Red Zone Channel” to Be Widely Offered
on Multiple Platforms

New NFL Sunday Ticket Package Available
Via Broadband

NFL Network Carriage Agreement Extended

The National Football League announced today an agreement to extend DIRECTV’s rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket. DIRECTV will continue to have exclusive television rights to air the package of Sunday afternoon games through the 2014 NFL season.

The agreement also significantly broadens the reach of NFL Sunday Ticket by enabling NFL fans that cannot receive DIRECTV satellite service to get NFL Sunday Ticket via broadband. This service will begin no later than 2012.

In addition, the NFL will offer fans (also no later than 2012) a new “Red Zone Channel” that shows crucial live action cut-ins of all Sunday afternoon games starting at 1 p.m. ET and continuing through the conclusion of the 4 p.m. ET games. The “Red Zone Channel” will be available to cable, telco and satellite systems, wireless devices, and the Internet.

“We are pleased to extend a partnership with DIRECTV that has complemented and supported our broadcast television packages for 15 years,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “We are looking forward to having the Red Zone channel on cable and other media platforms as well as showing NFL Sunday Ticket via broadband to the homes that cannot get satellite. This new content enhances our tradition of being the most pro-consumer, widely available sport on television.”

“The NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ service has been a part of DIRECTV since our first year of operation and is one of the defining characteristics of our best-in- class positioning,” said Chase Carey, president and CEO of DIRECTV Group. “This latest extension allows us to retain and broaden our most popular sports subscription service. Through our wireless offering to NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ customers and the new broadband service to non-customers, we’re now able to expand the reach to even more NFL fans everywhere.”

Among the new features for fans are:

* Red Zone Channel: subscribers who do not have DIRECTV will have access to the “Red Zone” channel through local cable systems or telco, satellite systems and Internet providers. This special channel has been part of NFL Sunday Ticket on DIRECTV the past four seasons and will continue for those subscribers. It provides live look-ins and real-time highlights from every Sunday afternoon game starting at 1 P.M. (ET) through the late afternoon games. The channel switches from game to game and airs live action when a team is in the Red Zone (inside the 20-yard line) and poised to score. A host also provides real-time scoring and fantasy updates.

* NFL Sunday Ticket on Broadband: Fans who live in areas where DIRECTV’s service is not available, such as apartment buildings or in residences with poor sightlines to a satellite signal, will be able to purchase a new NFL Sunday Ticket broadband package.

DIRECTV customers who purchase NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ and the SuperFan™ package receive all Sunday afternoon games in HD; a Game Mix channel with up to eight games on one screen; the Red Zone Channel; the SUPERCAST™ service that streams every live NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ broadcast to laptop computers; and the NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ Mobile service that delivers up-to-the-minute highlights, and soon full-length games, to cell phones, pda’s and other wireless devices.

DIRECTV also has extended its carriage agreement with NFL Network which airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. NFL Network will continue to be offered in DIRECTV’s CHOICE package.


Contacts:

Brian McCarthy
National Football League
Brian.McCarthy@nfl.com

Darris Gringeri
DirecTV
dagringeri@directv.com

Durante su paso por Argentina en febrero último, el ex pateador de la NFL Martín Gramática dialogó con NMF. Criticó el recorte de partidos en el Sunday Ticket de Directv y pidió por inclusión de NFL Network.

“Para que el deporte crezca en el país es clave que la gente pueda ver más partidos”, afirmó. Lo que sucedió en Argentina fue lo contrario, ya que “desde hace un tiempo el Sunday Ticket trasmite menos partidos, por lo que en lugar de aumentar las trasmisiones, disminuyeron”.

Gramática agregó que, si bien ayudaría aumentar la cantidad de football americano en televisión, también es fundamental que haya una difusión de las reglas y la lógica del deporte. “Es obvio que si alguien pone un partido de football americano y no lo entiende, le va a parecer muy aburrido. Pero en la medida que se va comprendiendo, es un deporte muy divertido”.

En relación a NFL Network, considera una gran idea la posibilidad de incluirlo en la grilla de algún proveedor de televisión por cable, similar a lo que sucede con el canal 24 horas de NBA de Cablevisión Digital.

“En NFL Network pasan partidos históricos, hacen análisis, etc. Por ejemplo, el combinado de Indianápolis, donde los novatos hacen pruebas, lo pasan completo, con estadísticas en vivo. Estaría bueno que lo puedan incluir acá, porque es un canal muy completo y que ayudaría a la difusión del deporte”.

Es hora que volvamos a reaccionar para que podamos ver mas football, agradecemos el apoyo de los "Hermanos Gramática" por haber estado para la foto.

Les cuento que en una entrevista en radio, en Argentina, con Alejandro Fantino, Martín y Alejandro pidieron en vivo a Directv que vuelvan a dar el Sunday Ticket completo ya que muchos quieren ver todos los partidos como antes.

Fantino se ha echo fana de los Bucs y ahora que quiere verlos no puede por que Directv ha recortado el paquete de la NFL.

Hagamos algo para revertir esta situación.