Is the Sunday Ticket worth it for out of town fans?

[stcjones]

Not even a debate for me.....I HAVE to have my direct tv Sunday Ticket to watch my Pats!!!! Now,last year I was a bit pissed because almost every game was "Nationally televised" and I almost could have gotten away with going without it......but in normal "Years", if I didn't have the ticket.....I'd be left with some garbled up,constantly cutting out,HEAVILY AD LOADED UP online streaming video which also always seems delayed. So I am on here with my fellow Pats fans (as is always the tradition) and biting my nails to see if we are going to get a first down on a play....and lo and behold we score......big time lag. For me (here in FL) the Ticket is the only game to play. And forget that BAH's down here......1/2 Doofin fans....1/2 Jets fans........equals either a fistfight or an early exit by me!!!! GO PATS!

Is the Sunday Ticket worth it for out of town fans?
By: John Morgan

In today’s mobile society there are many fans of a team (the New England Patriots, in this case) that do not live locally to their favorite team. Just a few years ago out of towners were limited to buying a day old Sunday Globe from a newsstand that specialized in out of town papers and perhaps a subscription to the Sporting News. Thanks to the internet it is now much easier to follow your favorite team from afar in terms of quantity and timeliness of sports news, analysis and opinions.

But one issue still remains for those relocated former New Englanders: watching the Patriots play live. Local stations broadcast the local teams rather than the Pats, and for die hard fans that is not acceptable. For many a subscription to the Sunday Tickethttp://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/sports/nfl from DirecTV is the answer; but is it worth it?
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CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

 

[stcjones]

meh... There are all sorts of internet streams. catching the game is not as difficult as it was a few years ago. Redzone is a great selling feature however.

But don't you feel like with the Red Zone that you miss EVERYTHING else leading up to the TD or FG??? My friend has the RZ package....and I would have to either be on the chat on here....or the discussion page to follow everything else.....then finally....."And here are the Patriots threatening to put more points on the board" etc. As for the streams, I have rarely found one's where I could watch the whole game interrupted. I'm sure there are pay sites online that are good....but I got burned on a "golf" one so am a bit leary....

 

[mgteich]

You can watch on your illegal internet stream. if you wish.

I'll watch all the games on my 63" TV, record the ones I want, and re-watch at my leisure.

It is all a matter of choice and priorities.

meh... There are all sorts of internet streams. catching the game is not as difficult as it was a few years ago. Redzone is a great selling feature however.

 

[Frezo]

You can watch on your illegal internet stream. if you wish.

I'll watch all the games on my 63" TV, record the ones I want, and re-watch at my leisure.

It is all a matter of choice and priorities.

I have always wondered how Toyota gets away with advertising on these illegal streams.

 

[signbabybrady]

How could the answer be "no"? When I was in Asia I would have spent ungodly sums for Sunday Ticket if it was an option.

Unless the option is "food or football", this is a no-brainer.

Really how could the answer be no. I lived in Foxboro for a while and now Walpole and it is worth it just for my choices of every other game. This is a Football forum if the answer is no what are you doing here?

 

[Patjew]

For me its a no. I guess it just depends whats available around you.

I had Sunday Ticket in 2009 and there was maybe 4 or 5 games that werent shown on my regular channels. Since then its been the same, and for the games not on my cable I went to a sports bar to watch, and spent under $20 for food/drink.

Sunday Ticket here is $220 so 4 or 5 games at a bar is a bit cheaper anyway. I switched my provider this year however and I get CBS Boston and FOX Boston now. So I should be getting every Pats game just through my cable now.

I guess I should have mentioned that I'm anti-social.

 

[1960Pats]

One of my sons has been living abroad for the last five years and he raves about the NFL package that he uses. He can watch any and all games at any time and also has a split screen feature. I'll find out what it is the next time we talk.

As long as the games are on the boob tube, I'll watch the NFL like I do everything else. I'll record it and start watching the tape at halftime, and then I'll finish at about the same time as the game ends.

 

[Ring 6]

Basically, you're asking whether having the game available live is worth $20 a game. In many cases, you won'y be able to get the game at all if you don't get it live.

I have decided "yes". Of course, I already have Direct TV. In our area, Direct TV is a mcuh better value than the local cable company (no COMCAST available).

I have Directv solely because of the package, and the Patriots. Without it I would be at the bar 8-12 weeks a year spending even more.

This year, I actually have 1/2 of a season ticket package, so I will get to go to 4 games, but still need the Directv package.

 

[captain stone]

I don't have satellite. Bears' Den, here I come.
A bit of good news is that a surprisingly fair # of Pats games are shown in the Harrisburg market,
as long as they don't conflict w/ the PitsDirt Squealers or Bal'more Murderers.

 

[Julius]

It's still cheaper than a DUI.

Besides, I make better food than most bars and the bathroom is closer.

 

[captain stone]

I don't have satellite. Bears' Den, here I come.
A bit of good news is that a surprisingly fair # of Pats games are shown in the Harrisburg market,
as long as they don't conflict w/ the PitsDirt Squealers or Bal'more Murderers.

Good news for me, bad news for the Bears' Den: the Pats game is being broadcast by the local
CBS affiliate. PitsDirt plays at Denver @4pm, and Bal'more hosts Cinci on Monday night.
WHP knows a ratings winner in the NEP when it sees one.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I finally switched to DTV this year (August) mainly bc of ST but also bc ATT Uverse (although great tv service) was way too pricey.

In 2010, I had ATT and they at around 10-12 Pats games on TV. Last year, I'd say it was around 6-8 maybe.

So far I do like the service.

 

[nabwong]

I got Sunday ticket for free this year. Comedy central was cut a few days this year because of disagreement with Viacom and I took the opportunity to complain and ask for free Sunday ticket. Also got $10 off my bill for 6 months for the "inconvenience". Haha.

 

[Gwedd]

It's still cheaper than a DUI.

Besides, I make better food than most bars and the bathroom is closer.

This was big for me, too.

There's also no extra expense for a cab down and back to the bar.

 

[danam404]

Gotta have the ticket. I live out in Ann Arbor now, and I've only paid for ST once. Free the first year, you're locked in for 2 years so the second yr I had no leverage, but now I'm out of my contract and month to month, so I just threaten to cancel every August and they usually knock 50 bucks off my bill and throw in the ticket.

I also love the to-go option, I'm a pilot so half the Sunday's I'm not even near my tv, so worst comes to worst I'm watching on my phone or iPad. I also have a Sirius satellite radio that works at 40,000 ft (shhhh .

Nothing I hate more than being in Dallas on an overnight watching the pats in a B-dubs on the smallest TV with no sound and hearing obnoxious cowgirls fans all around. I'll take the ticket.

 

[cincipatsfan]

No brainer. Better picture and sound, cheaper and better food, the all-important pause and rewind buttons and I too am anti-social...

 

[1960Pats]

I live in Vancouver, Canada and our local cable provider offers the NFL package (every game in HD) for $44 per month.

So for $11 a week I have access to every game which is well worth it.

I read this earlier and since then I talked to my son living abroad, and he swears by the NFL Game Pass that is only available out of the country. He says that for $200 for the regular season or for $240 for the regular season and playoffs, he gets to see any and all games at any time, including a few variations of split screen viewing that he likes. He also gets the Red Zone package and NFL Network included. He said that the price has been the same for the four or five years that he's used it and that the technology has become better. I wish I had that option here. It sounds great at those prices.