The Amazon exclusive of Madden 25's Anniversary Edition will include a hefty price tag of $99 with NFL Sunday Ticket for free this season. Some might question how it's possible with the premier sports subscription exclusive to DirecTV, but it's designed to get even more people to sign up for the satellite service - and get locked into a contract.
Everything is a little murky though - here's how to get NFLST straight from the product description:
However, EA Sports' Senior Director of Marketing, Anthony Stevenson, posted on Twitter that it's not necessary to even subscribe to the satellite service.
However, EA Sports' Senior Director of Marketing, Anthony Stevenson, posted on Twitter that it's not necessary to even subscribe to the satellite service.
@cavemangamer @whoisdo true, but with this offer you don't need to be a directv subscriber. You can access Sunday Ticket digitally.Stevenson went on to explain that every copy of the Madden NFL 25 AE will include a code to access NFLST on computers and mobile devices.
— Anthony Stevenson (@EAnthonyS) May 18, 2013
This isn't the first time that people could use NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. PlayStation 3 owners could buy the package for $300.
While it makes sense to give people the option to use a code and activate the package as an alternate method, what doesn't make sense is why people would even activate it with DirecTV. Anybody that does needs to know that activating it through the satellite service locks that person in for a two-year contract - and purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket next season at full price.
For people who are on the fence of getting DirecTV, this deal is a no-brainer. They have to lock into a two-year agreement anyway, and getting $10 a month off of the service will serve as a discount to the subscription next season.
Those that have DirecTV or are not planning to subscribe shouldn't take advantage if the code comes with every copy. Nothing matches the quality of a satellite feed going to a big screen TV for games, the PlayStation 3 has damn good streaming quality through Netflix and MLB.TV, which I own. While I cannot attest that's the same for the NFLST app on PS3, it would be a lot better than trying to stream games through a website hosted off-shore that illegally shows them.
The future of NFL Sunday Ticket exclusive to DirecTV is also up in the air. Why be locked into subscribing with the satellite service if NFLST moves on to a special online offer for a cheaper price?
My situation is also unique. Living in an apartment wired with DirecTV is fantastic, but I cannot lock into a 2-year agreement. Who knows if I will live in this apartment for another year, and one of us will need to use a mobile device anyway as both my girlfriend and I need to watch the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
More on how we'll probably break up in September later.
Whatever case people fall in, they need to know what's going to happen before pulling the trigger on signing with DirecTV or opting to use the code. My question is why DirecTV would even allow for a code in this deal when streaming a game is good enough for most people AND that option wouldn't get anyone locked into a contract?
[1st photo credit: Flickr/mediummike]
[2nd photo credit: Flickr/modenadude]
