Sony Gets NFL Sunday Ticket On PS3

News Analysis
Sony Gets NFL Sunday Ticket On PS3
By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (August 18, 2011) -- Sony has announced that it has struck a deal with DIRECTV to provide the 2011 NFL Sunday Ticket in HD on its Play Station 3 console via live streaming.

PS3 owners who do not have access to DIRECTV can subscribe to the Ticket for $339.95. Existing DIRECTV customers can access the service on their PS3 for an additional $50 and use the PS3 as an additional receiver for their home.

DIRECTV is now offering the Ticket free to new subscribers to its satellite service, but it's charging current subscribers $66.99 a month for five months. That price is the equivalent of what Sony will charge PS3 owners.

The pact, which was revealed yesterday on Sony's Play Station blog, is a major coup for Sony which is battling Microsoft's XBox 360 and Nintendo's Wii for the gaming audience. All three gaming consoles offer video streaming as well as gaming, but DIRECTV said yesterday that the PS3/NFL Sunday Ticked deal will be an exclusive in the gaming category.

Sony said PS3 owners will be able to watch all 14 weekly NFL Sunday Ticket 'out of market' games in HD and they will also have access to DIRECTV's Red Zone Channel.

"We know that PlayStation fans are huge sports enthusiasts, so adding NFL Sunday Ticket is the perfect complement to the PS3’s rapidly growing lineup of sports entertainment," Sony's Philip Rosenberg said on the PS3 blog.

Sony already offers MLB.com and the National Hockey League's pay package on the PS3.

Swanni Sez
Commentary:
DIRECTV has been getting more aggressive in searching for new revenue sources and the Sony deal is yet another example. Once upon a time, the mere mention of allowing a non-DIRECTV service to show the NFL Sunday Ticket would have been viewed as evidence of insanity at DIRECTV headquarters. The satcaster believed its exclusive deal with the NFL was critical to luring new subscribers and keeping old ones.

But in these tough economic times -- and with DIRECTV facing more competition from TV providers and streaming services -- it makes sense for the company to get more creative with how it uses the Ticket to its advantage. The Sony deal will not only generate more revenue for DIRECTV, but it's a great tool to generate more subscribers in the PS3 audience.

DIRECTV also offers the Ticket on Motorola's Xoom and Samsung Galaxy tablets, Android phones and the iPad and iPhone as well as other mobile devices.. After more than 15 years of holding the Ticket exclusive, kudos to the satcaster for finally thinking out of the box

Swanni is Phillip Swann, president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

Click TVPredictions.com to read more news and features on TV technology.
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