Posted Thu Oct 2, 2014 at 03:30 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
The satellite company has extended and expanded its NFL Sunday Ticket agreement.
DirecTV and the NFL have announced a new multi-year deal that will allow DirecTV to continue holding the exclusive rights to the NFL's Sunday Ticket package while also gaining expanded rights to stream live games on broadband connections and mobile devices. While specifics on the agreement have not been disclosed, reports from sports business analyst Darren Rovell, indicate that the deal is good for eight years and is estimated to be worth around $1.5 billion annually.
"We are pleased to continue our partnership with DIRECTV," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "DIRECTV and NFL SUNDAY TICKET have served our fans well for 20 years and continue to complement our broadcast television packages. We also appreciate DIRECTV's commitment to NFL Network, which it has carried since the channel launched in 2003."
Under this new deal, DirecTV will continue to offer its Sunday Ticket package, giving customers access to all out-of-market Sunday afternoon football games in high definition. Subscribers who opt for the NFL Sunday Ticket Max package will also receive streaming support to watch games on mobile devices, a game mix channel to watch up to eight games simultaneously on one screen, the Red Zone channel, the DirecTV Fantasy Zone channel, and Short Cuts for 30 minute replays of games. In addition to Sunday Ticket, the agreement also renews DirecTV's rights to the NFL Network with TV Everywhere.
"This new agreement is a testament to the terrific long-term relationship we have with the NFL and its millions of fans across the country," said Mike White, chairman, president and CEO of DIRECTV. "NFL SUNDAY TICKET has always been the centerpiece of DIRECTV's sports leadership and we're pleased to continue our relationship with the NFL and be a part of the league's future growth and success."
Meanwhile, AT&T is still on target to purchase DirecTV. The company previously had a special out clause in its contract that enabled them to terminate the deal if DirecTV failed to retain the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket beyond this season.
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