The Current Model 

Direct TV is heading into its final season as the carrier of the NFL Sunday Ticket. Before anything changes lets take a look at the current pricing. There are three stand alone versions of the ticket starting with the most expensive. The Max Plan comes in at $395.99 ($99 per month). Features include the ability to stream out-of-market NFL games on multiple devices, the Red Zone Channel, and the Fantasy Zone. Coming in at $293.96 ($73.49 per month) is the To Go package which allows you to stream all out-of-market games on one device at a time. The last stand alone package is the Sunday Ticket U plan which gives you the same access as the To Go package at a discounted price of $119.96 ($29.99).

Even though Direct TV allows you to be free of their cable service it still feels like you are paying for it. The prices are almost equivalent to four months of Direct TV services. Streaming as a whole has turned into a monopoly on television just like cable television was. 

These prices are a bit much considering you cannot stream on multiple devices on all three plans. I have been a ticket holder since 2015 and there have been no true improvements. From the in game notifications to the overall presentation nothing has changed. The rights are up for grabs which means change is imminent. There are a few things that I would change about the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Change Is Good.

First is the pricing. Pricing should be far more reasonable in relation to the tiers, features, and there should be a single team package. All packages should allow you the ability to stream on multiple devices simultaneously. The most expensive package should include all the fixings, Red Zone, Fantasy Zone, and stats. But something that is missing is close game notifications. If there is a tight game there should be a close game alert built into the app no matter what device you’re streaming on. To put a number on it is difficult considering how over expensive things have been over the years. The most expensive pack should be $120 ($30 per month). 

The ceiling of my vision for the new version of the Sunday Ticket is the floor of the current model. The middle tier would include some of the features included in the top tier package but not all. Therefore the price would be cut in half for a total of $60 ($15 per month). The final and least expensive package would be for a single team tier. If you are a fan of an out-of-market team but only have interest in that team, local games and the national games then this package is for you. This package will be $40 ($10 per month). 

Even though illegal streaming and Reddit threads have killed off most of the need for sports streaming services, there are still people like me who like things the done the right way. If the NFL and whoever purchases the rights to this services can get it right it may bring consumers back in. Whether its Apple, Amazon, or another streaming giant they have to score a touchdown on their first drive. They cannot go three and out, the first season has to be a success or whatever they follow up will not matter. The people are tired of what they have been getting and are starving for something new, I hope we all get fed like a big family on Thanksgiving Day.