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Ah football, welcome back. From now until the 2nd week of February, Americans across this great nation will have access to at least one football game each week. Blissful College Football Saturdays blur into the full-day binge fest of NFL Sundays. While College Football games typically run the gamut of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., which to me is a perfect schedule, the NFL’s Sunday slate is bunched into a random assortment of Noon and 3:15 kickoffs. I love football, so I try to watch as many games as possible. Plus, being a Packers fan in Chicago means that I typically have to watch the floundering Bears over my treasured Green and Gold. Sure, you could stream or go to a bar, but the appeal of NFL Sunday Ticket reigns as the supreme couch potato option. But is it worth the extravagant cost?
I have this struggle every preseason. Each August I weigh the pros and cons of purchasing the premium TV package that is NFL Sunday Ticket. For the 2018 season, a full subscription will run you roughly $73.49/month for 4 months. With taxes and fees, that’s about $320 bucks for the ability to watch your home team and toggle through every game being played at the moment. Plus you get split screen and the feeling of superiority over your friends who didn’t splurge on being able to watch a Titans vs Colts Noon kickoff. But honestly, the price is steep. Putting a $300+ charge on your credit card along with your presumed large cable or streaming service bill means a full financial commitment that could have otherwise been spent on things like booze, student loan payments, or suitable groceries for the next week.
The flipside to the high cost is that you don’t have to leave your couch for 8+ hours on a hungover Sunday. Look, I love going to my favorite Packers bar for the first game of the season or a heated rivalry game, but being able to sit comfortably on my couch in a blanket with my booze and food in front of me while I scream at Aaron Rodgers to release the ball earlier is a simple pleasure of mine. Plus, your bank account probably takes less of a hit when you’re ordering to your place instead of a bar – unless you’re ordering four servings of chicken wings via Uber Eats.
Last year, I had the unpleasant experience of watching Rodgers break his collarbone on a unnecessary hit (@ me) from Anthony Barr versus the Vikings at a local Packers bar (Ranalli’s or Wills imho). The feeling of sadness I felt was only amplified by my unfamiliar surroundings and weirdly high-energy dance music for a Sunday afternoon. If I had witnessed this at home, I might have coped better. Instead, I had one of the scariest Sunday’s of my life that led to an equally disastrous week as the Packers’ season dissolved in a Thanos snap from the hands of Brett Hundley.
That’s the thing about Sunday Ticket. You have the control over your watching experience. There’s no asking the bartender to turn up the volume or having to worry about pending Monday Venmo charges from an unresolved bar tab. Having unlimited remote control power means you control your Sunday. You decide how you spend your day and watch your football. It’s a blissful feeling waking up after a long Saturday knowing your only responsibility is finding the remote from beneath the couch cushions.
The final hurdle in all of this is if you play Fantasy Football. Personally, I’m in a few pretty competitive leagues so having the added access to NFL Red Zone is almost a necessity. Yes, Red Zone is probably $10 more per month, but if you’re already investing in the package, you might as well get the full thing. Plus, when you rationalize that you’ll most likely spend 24-ish hours a month using the service, the money seems like a better value than some of the other minor streaming services you might be looking at.
I was lucky enough to get Sunday Ticket via my cable package two years ago. Last year, I decided against pulling the trigger and realized in the dead of winter watching a spotty fancast of Packers vs Browns that I needed the instant access that this beautiful streaming creation brings. This year, I’m all in. Football season is back, embrace it. Cheers!.
Respond
@TaylorLaabs
@taylor1laabs
Oh god, your twitter confirms you’re one of the many insufferable cheeseheads who root for my cubs as well.
Minnesota born too…
It’s a weird combo, I’ll give you that.
Reddit NFL Streams has been a god-send since I dropped cable. Has multiple streams every game + RedZone, so if you have any device with a browser app (Xbox One for me) it works like a charm. You’ll have hiccups here and there but can’t beat free.
Shhhh. The more people who use the free reddit streams the sooner the NFL overloads will overlook domestic abuse to shut them down.
I cannot wait to wake up extremely hungover on a sunday and just crush buff chick dip and quad box filled redzone, while cheering on a #3 WR that I got suckered into puttin ghim in my flex cause some “Expert” told me to.
Sunday Ticket all day every day. You can record and fast forward through commercials. Watch every game. Around $50 a month, whereas a bar would easily be $50 a week. Loud and can’t hear the game, distractions, etc. in a bar. Cheap beer and food at home.
The move is stream hometown on the laptop, Redzone on the big screen.
Red Zone all day everyday. Sunday Ticket is a rip off.
quad box gets me jacked
If you can keep your Sunday tab under $70, go to a sports bar that is showing all the game with people in your fantasy league. Much more fun than sitting at home. Depending on the city, I understand keeping it under $70 may be difficult.
The last few years we went out for games due to the friend group all rooting for different teams. This year we’re trying sunday ticket with multiple TVs hooked up in the living room and a potluck situation.
Anyone have any experience with watching on streaming services? I ditched the cable a few months back and losing football is my one regret.
Sling has redzone on their $35/month package.
Student ticket all the way if you have a youth handy!
Pretty sure you’d go to jail for a youth handy.