The NFL supposedly has a deal for Sunday Ticket with DirecTV until 2022, but things don’t seem so rosy lately. It’s starting to look like if the NFL can get out of its exclusive deal with the satellite provider, it will do so. Now things are getting worse for DirecTV as Disney and ESPN has entered the ring.
It wasn’t so long ago that ESPN getting in this bidding war would have been out of the question. The NFL and the worldwide leader weren’t really getting along. That’s changed since new ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro took over. Now everything is peachy. ESPN has its digital option with ESPN+ and it would be a perfect place for Sunday Ticket.
DirecTV and AT&T have gone the other way. There was a bit of an issue between the company and the league when it came to the NFL network. That’s not how the NFL likes things to go. When they ask for something, their partner should do it. Otherwise, the league has the option to use all the leverage it can. The league holds all the power here.
There have been discussions about DirecTV not having an exclusive deal for DirecTV for some time and it may make the most sense for the NFL to continue to explore that option. If it’s looking to bring Sunday Ticket somewhere else, ESPN is a perfect partner. The league already has an existing relationship and furthering ties with people the NFL likes to work with is simply smart business.
