Monday, August 17, 2009

DirecTV Launches Broadband-Only Sunday Ticket

Broadband access providers rightly are concerned that their big broadband pipes over time will allow users to bypass service provider voice and video services, and DirecTV just fired a limited shot in that direction.

Though direct competition from Hulu and other sites is a bit muted since those services typically make sure online content is not made available at the same time the same content is showing on the linear networks, the new Sunday Ticket package will do precisely that.

Though I frankly don't know how DirecTV is going to ascertain which consumers, in which locations, actually cannot get a DirecTV signal, users who are in that predicament will be able to buy the National Football League "Sunday Ticket" package as a stand-alone, without paying for a subscription to DirecTV's other linear video offerings, and have that programming delivered over their broadband Internet access connections.

There will be some locations where landlords or property associations may not allow satellite dishes, which might be easier to ascertain. But it will be harder to determine, without a site visit, where direct line of sight is not available.

The new offering is an "over the top" service that does not require DirecTV to pay a cent to the broadband access providers whose access services are used to support it.

The package will sell for $349, $100 more than most DirecTV subscribers pay.

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