Being a hard-core NFL fan is getting more expensive.
DirecTV is raising prices on its NFL Sunday Ticket package, which is the only way to watch every NFL game. The retail price will reach an all-time high of $293.94 in 2018, with the package that includes Red Zone Channel increasing to $395.95.
Many subscribers don’t pay full price, as DirecTV often offers discounts to entice new subscribers, or to convince current subscribers to renew. But the base price of the package is higher than ever.
And that may point to the future of the NFL on television: For many years, the NFL has thrived by reaching as broad an audience as possible. But with audiences shrinking the last two years and advertising revenue down last year, the league may seek to make more money off fans who are paying more money to see games. That includes fans who buy the Sunday Ticket package and fans who pay for the cable Red Zone Channel.
Although there were scattered reports of people canceling Sunday Ticket last year to protest players protesting during the national anthem, DirecTV can likely continue to raise Sunday Ticket prices for some time and lose few subscribers. It remains a popular package, one that millions of fans think is well worth a few hundred dollars a year.