Ticket Takers

As NFL teams begin reporting to training camp in earnest this week, DirecTV is planning a mega marketing campaign for its Sunday Ticket package. The campaign, with an estimated spend of $100M, comes as the satellite provider attempts to fend off pressure from competitors offering rival football packages. Activation is expected to include a series of light-hearted TV spots and a whopping 40-page insert in Sports Illustrated. The campaign, which is largely centered around the ability to watch games on mobile devices, is easily the biggest push behind the service since it began in '94. Many fans in Minnesota will not be sitting in front of their TV on Sundays, as the Vikings yesterday have their best first day of single-game ticket sales since ’03. Jaguars execs are also optimistic about a ticket-sales boost, and they point to the new stadium naming-rights deal with EverBank as proof of the team’s commitment to Jacksonville.