The NFL Sunday Ticket 2009 promotion has just been released, and once again if you are looking to make the switch over to DIRECTV satellite TV – this is the best time of year to do so.
While existing DIRECTV customers won’t find much when looking for a Sunday Ticket discount, those who are moving over to DIRECTV will be able to save nearly $800, well $778.95 to be exact when they subscribe to the NFL package in 2009. A full breakdown on the possible savings will be listed a little later.
No doubt this promotion will usher in the busiest time of the year for DIRECTV. If you are considering a switch in order to enjoy the unlimited football buffet this fall, you would be wise to place your order early so you won’t miss out on any of the Sunday Ticket games. The NFL season kicks off this fall on Thursday, September 10th although the first slate of NFL Sunday Ticket games will fall on September 13th.
So what can you expect as a new DIRECTV customer with this promotion? Once again, new customers will be offered the Premier package for free when they subscribe to the NFL package. While last year you had to pay for Sunday Ticket in 4 installments and you would get the top DIRECTV package free for that period, this year’s offer is even better. The offer this time breaks the NFL Sunday Ticket package into five payments of $59.99 each, and then you will get the Premier bundle free for five months.
If your not familiar with the Premier package, it basically is the all-inclusive bundle which has more than 265 channels total. All of your locals, music channels, cable networks, and premium movie channels are included, and this package is normally priced at $109.99 per month.
Now if you do take advantage of the Sunday Ticket offer, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. While you do receive the top DIRECTV programming package for this period of time, you are not obligated to stay with the package after five months. There is a commitment involved to DIRECTV satellite service when you sign up, which is a two year agreement. But after the promotional period ends you can switch down to one of the lower priced DIRECTV bundles.
So what else is DIRECTV throwing in besides the Premier package? New customers will also receive free DVR service for the first five months – a $30 dollar value. In addition, they will get a free HD DVR upgrade, which is a $199 value. If you don’t have a plasma screen or LCD yet, you still can get the regular DVR. You don’t actually own the equipment, it technically remains DIRECTV property, but there is no upfront cost for it.
So overall, the savings for a new NFL Sunday Ticket customer breaks down as follows:
Five months DIRECTV Premier package – $109.99 x 5= $549.95
Five months free DVR service – $6 x5= $30
Free HD DVR Upgrade – $199 value
Overall, your total retail value is $778.95 in free programming and services if you pay for Sunday Ticket as a new subscriber.
Now where you will have to pony up a few dollars is in the high definition area. HD access is $10 per month, and unfortunately this won’t include HD access to the NFL games on Sunday.
Long a point of contention for DIRECTV customers, especially subscribers to the NFL Ticket is the extra cost charged to get all of the games in HD. Once again they will be available only to those who choose to subscribe to the Superfan package.
If your not familiar with the Superfan package, read up on it here. Briefly, it gives you all of the games in HD, plus a few bonus channels. The Red Zone Channel, Game Mix, and NFL Short cuts are all included here. In addition, streaming to your computer and for the first time to your cell phone will be available with the Supercast feature. So what is the problem?
The issue here is that Superfan costs another $100 per season in addition to the NFL Sunday Ticket price. While nobody wants to pay an extra $100, virtually everyone who has an HDTV decides to go ahead and pay for it. Why? Because once you watch NFL games in HD, its almost impossible to go back to standard definition.
Now if NFL football isn’t a big attraction for you, there are plenty of other DIRECTV deals available this fall. They won’t save you as much money when compared to five months free of the Premier package, but you can get a discount for one full year on your DIRECTV bill by going with one of the other packages like the DIRECTV Choice or the Plus HD DVR options.
11 comments ↓
I’ve been robbed!
Wow! What a deal. I need to cancel my current subscription and have my wife sign-up.
Well I finally had to break down and get the NFL package. Of course with the Sunday ticket deal they have going this year, I couldnt really refuse. A $60 bill for 5 months for every channel and all of the NFL games is a great deal. I only hope they dont stick it to me for the 2010 season.
They won’t save you as much money when compared to five months free of the Premier package, but you can get a discount for one full year on your DIRECTV bill by going with one of the other packages like the DIRECTV Choice or the Plus HD DVR options.
Its a way to much money from me for what it cost you
You are lucky to have DIRECTV. Here in Europe we do however get to watch the super bowl, which is great!
I couldn’t really refuse. A $60 bill for 5 months for every channel and all of the NFL games is a great deal.thank u for sharing.
I couldnt really refuse. A $60 bill for 5 months for every channel and all of the NFL games is a great deal. I only hope they dont stick it to me for the 2010 season.
This is a pretty sweet promotion for the NFL Sunday Ticket. One tip: If you act like you are on the fence and aren’t really sure if you want to get Direct TV, they will throw in the Superfan package too. That way you can get the games in HD and wont have to pay the $100 extra for that
For those still looking to check out what Sunday Ticket 2009 has to offer, there will be a free preview on Sunday, September 13th. You can see all of the games in HD as well as the DIRECTV Red Zone channel for free during the first weekend of the NFL Season.
Sunday Ticket didnt disappoint this year. So many close games during the last few weeks and I was able to see them all as it happened. Money well spent in my opinion.
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