Looks Like we can finally get away from Direct TV.

[rdlkgliders]

1. Cool beans.
2. Screw you and this $40 more for consoles nonsense, NFL.
3. Give us a freaking plan where we can pay $100 or so and JUST get the games of 1 team!

THIS

 

[moklerman]

I still love DirecTV. Before them, there weren't out of market games or being able to watch any game I wanted.

 

[Angry Ram]

This may put an end to my anti-streaming ways.

 

[tklongball]

Told me I am not eligible. Not sure why, as it didn't give me an explanation.

 

[Irish]

Single Market packages will never, ever happen. As long as Fox and CBS have their hands in Goodell's pockets and paying billions to keep their exclusivity, streaming will not happen.

The WWE tried this with a huge, groundbreaking, and revolutionary streaming service called the WWE Network. For 9.99 a month, not only do we get access to the thousands and thousands of hours of content in their video library from the past 40+ years, but we get every single pay per view (usually 45.00 each). The WWE hoped to include its flagship shows Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, but when it came time to belly up to the negotiating table for their next television deal, not only was the streaming of these programs a non starter to NBC Universal and Fox Sports, among others, but it severely impacted the value of the TV deal. Subsequently, the stock price of WWE, a publicly traded company, plummeted and Vince McMahon, the CEO and brain child of the WWE, crashed to the tune of nearly 30% of his net worth. Simply put, McMahon woke up on one day a billionaire and went to sleep a millionaire. Sobering, staggering numbers.

I use this story to illustrate the point that streaming services have all been put on notice by the negotiating tactics of these major broadcasting giants. DirecTV, Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and all of the rest are dug in because the only real money maker they can rely on for advertising dollars is live sporting events. Live sporting events that you cannot fast forward through commercials.

Call it collusion, call it dirty negotiating tactics, call it what you will, but these networks are going to work together like never before to make sure you are forced to watch your events on their terms, not the other way around. The day we get streaming NFL, NHL, MLB, and WWE style Netflix plans is the day cable boxes go extinct, and the powers that be will do everything they possibly can to delay that innovation.

 

[cracengl]

I'm not eligible either. I don't know who they're throwing a bone to, but apparently it's not to a very large swath of people. If they really wanted to make this worth while, they'd open it up to anyone and make it compatible with devices like Roku.

 

[Boffo97]

Single Market packages will never, ever happen. As long as Fox and CBS have their hands in Goodell's pockets and paying billions to keep their exclusivity, streaming will not happen.

The WWE tried this with a huge, groundbreaking, and revolutionary streaming service called the WWE Network. For 9.99 a month, not only do we get access to the thousands and thousands of hours of content in their video library from the past 40+ years, but we get every single pay per view (usually 45.00 each). The WWE hoped to include its flagship shows Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, but when it came time to belly up to the negotiating table for their next television deal, not only was the streaming of these programs a non starter to NBC Universal and Fox Sports, among others, but it severely impacted the value of the TV deal. Subsequently, the stock price of WWE, a publicly traded company, plummeted and Vince McMahon, the CEO and brain child of the WWE, crashed to the tune of nearly 30% of his net worth. Simply put, McMahon woke up on one day a billionaire and went to sleep a millionaire. Sobering, staggering numbers.

I use this story to illustrate the point that streaming services have all been put on notice by the negotiating tactics of these major broadcasting giants. DirecTV, Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and all of the rest are dug in because the only real money maker they can rely on for advertising dollars is live sporting events. Live sporting events that you cannot fast forward through commercials.

Call it collusion, call it dirty negotiating tactics, call it what you will, but these networks are going to work together like never before to make sure you are forced to watch your events on their terms, not the other way around. The day we get streaming NFL, NHL, MLB, and WWE style Netflix plans is the day cable boxes go extinct, and the powers that be will do everything they possibly can to delay that innovation.

I'm a WWE Network subscriber myself, and would love Raw and SmackDown being on the service (at least next day like Hulu does).

Never understood why they couldn't just show the episodes live with USA's/Syfy's commercials.

 

[Angry Ram]

Single Market packages will never, ever happen. As long as Fox and CBS have their hands in Goodell's pockets and paying billions to keep their exclusivity, streaming will not happen.

The WWE tried this with a huge, groundbreaking, and revolutionary streaming service called the WWE Network. For 9.99 a month, not only do we get access to the thousands and thousands of hours of content in their video library from the past 40+ years, but we get every single pay per view (usually 45.00 each). The WWE hoped to include its flagship shows Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, but when it came time to belly up to the negotiating table for their next television deal, not only was the streaming of these programs a non starter to NBC Universal and Fox Sports, among others, but it severely impacted the value of the TV deal. Subsequently, the stock price of WWE, a publicly traded company, plummeted and Vince McMahon, the CEO and brain child of the WWE, crashed to the tune of nearly 30% of his net worth. Simply put, McMahon woke up on one day a billionaire and went to sleep a millionaire. Sobering, staggering numbers.

I use this story to illustrate the point that streaming services have all been put on notice by the negotiating tactics of these major broadcasting giants. DirecTV, Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and all of the rest are dug in because the only real money maker they can rely on for advertising dollars is live sporting events. Live sporting events that you cannot fast forward through commercials.

Call it collusion, call it dirty negotiating tactics, call it what you will, but these networks are going to work together like never before to make sure you are forced to watch your events on their terms, not the other way around. The day we get streaming NFL, NHL, MLB, and WWE style Netflix plans is the day cable boxes go extinct, and the powers that be will do everything they possibly can to delay that innovation.

WWE Network "failure" has more to do with the product it offers, not that it's stream. The only incentive is to see PPVs at low price. Other than that, unless you are really, really that hardcore of a fan and want to watch past PPVs only b/c of the nostalgia aspect there's really not much content. Yeah, there's NXT and WWE Main Event..but what's the allure of that? The guys that compete on those shows are never shown on Raw/Smackdown, so the general audience doesn't know who they are and all of a sudden are supposed to be fans of them? Instead on Raw, all we get is the same boring promos from Triple H and John Cena and instructions on how to use the WWE App. Which is amazing considering the show is 3 hours and and regularly goes overtime.

The only original shows are Legends House and Total Divas (which is just a rerun of season 1). There aren't any documentaries on demand, and those that are played are know way to be known unless you have the network in the first place. There's also countdown, but honestly how much merit is a countdown show of a pre-determined product made by it's own company?

Regarding their TV deals with USA and Syfy, that is the easiest way to reach the majority of their audience. And if I were to guess, despite all the streaming availability, the majority of the U.S. population still uses the old cable/satellite system.

This is very different from the NFL audience. Which is much more massive because it's on "free" tv. It's real, and since there's an off season, the allure of a new season just makes it in more demand.

They can do something like having the streaming option during the early games only. It's regional games anyway and aren't real ratings grabbers. And you could buy as many teams as you want, just 1 or all 32. Plus, you couple that with the regional game airing on "free tv" anyway (for those that don't want to pay or don't have streaming compatability), it just adds on to the money.

 

[Boffo97]

WWE Network "failure" has more to do with the product it offers, not that it's stream. The only incentive is to see PPVs at low price. Other than that, unless you are really, really that hardcore of a fan and want to watch past PPVs only b/c of the nostalgia aspect there's really not much content. Yeah, there's NXT and WWE Main Event..but what's the allure of that? The guys that compete on those shows are never shown on Raw/Smackdown, so the general audience doesn't know who they are and all of a sudden are supposed to be fans of them? Instead on Raw, all we get is the same boring promos from Triple H and John Cena and instructions on how to use the WWE App. Which is amazing considering the show is 3 hours and and regularly goes overtime.

The only original shows are Legends House and Total Divas (which is just a rerun of season 1). There aren't any documentaries on demand, and those that are played are know way to be known unless you have the network in the first place. There's also countdown, but honestly how much merit is a countdown show of a pre-determined product made by it's own company?

Regarding their TV deals with USA and Syfy, that is the easiest way to reach the majority of their audience. And if I were to guess, despite all the streaming availability, the majority of the U.S. population still uses the old cable/satellite system.

This is very different from the NFL audience. Which is much more massive because it's on "free" tv. It's real, and since there's an off season, the allure of a new season just makes it in more demand.

They can do something like having the streaming option during the early games only. It's regional games anyway and aren't real ratings grabbers. And you could buy as many teams as you want, just 1 or all 32. Plus, you couple that with the regional game airing on "free tv" anyway (for those that don't want to pay or don't have streaming compatability), it just adds on to the money.

Regarding the no documentaries thing, check the menu under "Original" then "Beyond the Ring". Tons of well produced stuff there (though it's stuff that was on DVD previously.) I highly recommend the Bret vs. Shawn one.

But I ultimately think the failure to hit that million subscriber mark has been about just underestimating the potential total wrestling nerd (like me) audience more than anything else.

 

[Pancake]

I'm not eligible either because they think my address is a house. If I put in any fake apartment number I become eligible.

 

[Angry Ram]

Regarding the no documentaries thing, check the menu under "Original" then "Beyond the Ring". Tons of well produced stuff there (though it's stuff that was on DVD previously.) I highly recommend the Bret vs. Shawn one.

But I ultimately think the failure to hit that million subscriber mark has been about just underestimating the potential total wrestling nerd (like me) audience more than anything else.

I only did the free preview. I was talking about the docs that were "on now" like the stuff they told us about on Raw (the CM Punk one, Monday Night War, etc). I'm talking about reaching out to the casual and general WWE audience who will have no way of knowing about exclusive stuff unless they tell us about it.

 

[Boffo97]

I only did the free preview. I was talking about the docs that were "on now" like the stuff they told us about on Raw (the CM Punk one, Monday Night War, etc). I'm talking about reaching out to the casual and general WWE audience who will have no way of knowing about exclusive stuff unless they tell us about it.

It's kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation with them. They're already criticized for plugging the Network way too much on RAW and SmackDown.

But, we're kind of off-topic here, and there's a perfectly good neglected Pro Wrestling thread in the other Sports section.

 

[Irish]

WWE Network "failure" has more to do with the product it offers, not that it's stream. The only incentive is to see PPVs at low price. Other than that, unless you are really, really that hardcore of a fan and want to watch past PPVs only b/c of the nostalgia aspect there's really not much content. Yeah, there's NXT and WWE Main Event..but what's the allure of that? The guys that compete on those shows are never shown on Raw/Smackdown, so the general audience doesn't know who they are and all of a sudden are supposed to be fans of them? Instead on Raw, all we get is the same boring promos from Triple H and John Cena and instructions on how to use the WWE App. Which is amazing considering the show is 3 hours and and regularly goes overtime.

The only original shows are Legends House and Total Divas (which is just a rerun of season 1). There aren't any documentaries on demand, and those that are played are know way to be known unless you have the network in the first place. There's also countdown, but honestly how much merit is a countdown show of a pre-determined product made by it's own company?

Regarding their TV deals with USA and Syfy, that is the easiest way to reach the majority of their audience. And if I were to guess, despite all the streaming availability, the majority of the U.S. population still uses the old cable/satellite system.

This is very different from the NFL audience. Which is much more massive because it's on "free" tv. It's real, and since there's an off season, the allure of a new season just makes it in more demand.

They can do something like having the streaming option during the early games only. It's regional games anyway and aren't real ratings grabbers. And you could buy as many teams as you want, just 1 or all 32. Plus, you couple that with the regional game airing on "free tv" anyway (for those that don't want to pay or don't have streaming compatability), it just adds on to the money.

You aren't arguing the right point. I am not saying it is not logistically possible, the technology has existed for years. The point is the networks will never let it happen.

Here is the easiest way to think of it. Is your idea an easy way to deliver content in a way that allows the consumer the most convenient access possible so they can enjoy it in the way the consumer chooses? If so, the power players (Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, and the NFL) are not interested.

 

[jrry32]

Oh. Hell. Yes.

$200 and I can just plug my laptop into the TV via HDMI? Yes thank you.

This! I'm pumped! No more having to use terrible streams that constantly freeze up!

 

[Philly5]

Called yesterday. After getting passed around three times I was told I still needed to be a subscriber. Maybe the news was too new.

 

[Bluesy]

It really is a bummer that you need to technically be in an area that is "ineligible for DirecTV service". I imagine there will be some way to work around this, but still, it's pretty annoying that DirecTV has to make anything and everything a pain in the ass.

 

[Ramatik]

DTV is a pain in the ass. BUT I'm happy that I'm in an area where I can use it. I can't get the dish, but if I can get it thru the PS3 I am on board!

 

[DCH]

And yet again, when given the choice between having my money and not having it, DirecTV opts for the latter. Fuck you DirecTV. NFL games are not worth dealing with your bullshit, and punishing me for owning a home means you can suck my taint.

 

[LosAngelesRams]

Not that fast fellas...

Packages range from $199.99 for laptop, computer and phone services (with a student discount available) to $329.99 for the full package on all compatible devices and gaming consoles, including DirecTV's Red Zone Channel and new Fantasy Zone channel.

Of course, there are restrictions.

The service is only available to those who: 1) live in apartment buildings where DirecTV service is unavailable; 2) live in metro New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco; or 3) attend college at Michigan (Ann Arbor), Alabama, Washington, Texas (Austin), USC, Florida, Colorado (Boulder), Syracuse, Ohio State or Harvard.

Did you really think DTV was going to offer you a streaming Sunday ticket that easy? :snicker:

 

[classicpony]

About time! Now about price?