Verizon Making Sunday Ticket Available To Triple Play Subs

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Verizon is making DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket available to subscribers who sign up for DSL, long distance and DirecTV with HD-DVR service. A DirecTV spokesperson said the Sunday Ticket is "part of the bundle ... [but] is not a free add on as it’s being characterized in the press." The offer also includes a year of Showtime and a free netbook or free flipcam for new subscribers. "This appears to be a significant uptick in the their promotion of triple play service in their non-FIOS TV markets," Pali Research analyst Rich Greenfield wrote in a research note. "In fact, we do not believe an RBOC [Regional Bell Operating Company] has ever offered free Sunday Ticket service for an entire year as part of a bundle with DirecTV. While we are not yet clear how much of the VZ promo, if any, is being subsidized by DTV, we believe it bodes well for DTV subscriber adds in Q3."