This is bad news:
The National Football League has reached a four-year contract agreement with DirecTV for the leading satellite provider to remain the TV home for the Sunday Ticket package through 2014.
Announced during the NFL owners meeting in Dana Point, Calif., the pay-per-view pact, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, is valued at about $1 billion annually from 2011-2014. DirecTV currently pays some $700 million on its Sunday Ticket contract that expires after the 2010 season.
However, the agreement opens the door to a wider reach for the out-of-home package, which will become available to broadband subscribers that can’t receive DirecTV. This service is aimed at those who reside in multi-unit dwellings or satellite customers with poor sightlines to a satellite signal.
I had hoped that the NFL would finally allow cable operators to offer Sunday Ticket as a cable package (or, even better, games a la carte)… but no dice, at least until 2014. This sucks, but I guess $4 billion is nothing to sneeze at.
via NFL Scores With $4 Billion DirecTV Sunday Ticket Extension – Broadcasting & Cable.