This dream could soon be a reality: NFL Sunday Tickets are now available without satellite dishes. The Athletic reported that Apple is the preferred NFL destination for Sunday Ticket in September. However, this is going to be a competitive process with the rights going directly to the highest bidder. Sports Business Journal reports that ESPN+ is also in the bidding process, as reported by Disney's CEO.
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I don't care about who gets it, as long as I have access to it through an app similar to NBA League Pass. To do that, I will upgrade to Hulu Live or Apple+. It's 2021, and satellite dishes are not status symbols. It is an inconvenience.
You're probably familiar with the situation if you've ever been a patron at a bar on a Sunday NFL Sunday. It's fourth quarter, and a team is driving. Different jerseys have their patrons, who are enthralled and offer lubricated commentary in the form of cheers, groans and expletives. It's raining outside, and the wind picks-up. Then it's 3rd-and-3rd with 35 seconds left boom! The signal notification is displayed when the televisions stop receiving the signal.
Within a few minutes, the signal is back but you are ready to ask for a free round from your bar manager. Although it is possible for inclement weather not to disrupt internet service, it happens less frequently. DirecTV is often cut off by wind and raindrops. It is frustrating enough to find yourself in Los Angeles with a long bar bill. To have it happen at home, when you pay $200 for the package and the bill for the service, must be frustrating.
It's too difficult to watch the New York, Washington and Atlanta football teams every Sunday. NBA League Pass is easy: Create an account at NBA.com, navigate through League Pass, choose a package, and enter your card information. Instant access! To watch the game on TV, you can either download the app to your smart TV or streaming device, or connect to your television via USB cable. The process is the same for all major American sports, except for football. In that case, you will have to wait for someone to arrive in a three-hour time frame.
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Already, the NFL is moving into streaming. Thursday Night Football will begin streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime in 2022. They can make money streaming Sunday Ticket by placing it on a service. Football is the most watched sport in America. It's also the most popular TV product. You can click, point and view any television program that aired at that moment. Why make your product harder to find?
The NFL appears to have finally seen the easy money in 1998. Did you remember the initial surge in Disney+ sign-ups? Let there be a rollout next season for a Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu/Sunday Ticket package. It is better to have a decade left in succession, or else there may not be another streaming service.
