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Google enters talks with NFL to buy rights to the 'Sunday Ticket' service

Google discusses buying rights to the NFL's subscription TV service, in a deal that could boost media efforts of the Internet search company.

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Carlos Osorio/ AP Photo/ File
The NFL logo is displayed on the Ford Field turf before an NFL football game in 2011. Google has been holding talks with the National Football League, raising speculation that the internet monolith is seeking new inroads into television.
  • By Reuters

Google Inc has opened discussions with the National Football League to buy the rights to the "Sunday Ticket" subscription TV service now owned by DirecTV, tech blog AllThingsDigital reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The acquisition, if consummated, would dramatically boost the media efforts of the Internet search company, which is trying to ramp up original programming and earn subscription revenue as opposed to advertising income.

The "Sunday Ticket" service allows NFL fans to watch a wide variety of football games outside of their local markets.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials called on Google, Facebook Inc and several other key Silicon Valley companies in recent days, as part of efforts to improve their content, NFL spokesman Alex Reithmiller confirmed on Wednesday. He did not elaborate.

But the tech blog cited sources saying Google CEO Larry Page and YouTube content chief Robert Kyncl specifically discussed acquiring the rights to the popular Sunday Ticket package with Goodell and his delegation.

Google's YouTube last year expanded its stable of original content by promoting and investing in hundreds of dedicated channels, hoping to shed its image as a repository for grainy home videos and to start putting out quality content to boost advertising sales and earn subscription revenue.

A content tie-up between the popular NFL and Google could have ripple effects throughout the media industry, analysts said. It could bolster demand for services that bypass traditional cable, pressure values for some TV and satellite networks, and encourage users to sign up for broadband, Janney Capital Markets analyst Tony Wible said.

DirecTV has sounded upbeat about its chances of renewing the estimated $1 billion-a-year "Sunday Ticket" contract with the league when it expires after the 2014 season.

The exclusive package, which allows fans to watch games outside of their home markets, is considered by analysts an important tool for the satellite TV service in efforts to attract new subscribers.

RIPPLES

AllThingsD called talks between Google and the NFL "informal" for now.

Neither Google nor DirecTV responded to requests for comment.

Google's addition of "Sunday Ticket" would mark its biggest foray so far into the realm of quality programming and subscription-video services. It could also accelerate "cord cutting," or viewers switching to online-viewing sources from traditional cable channels, analysts said.

However, the NFL could come under significant pressure from holders of its other TV licenses, the traditional TV and broadcast networks, who would seek to discourage a tie-up with an Internet powerhouse like Google.

"If Google were to secure the Sunday Ticket rights, we may have a situation where consumers can start to create a more viable alternative" to a traditional cable plan, analyst Wible said.

He speculated that along with Netflix Inc and Hulu services now available over the Internet, consumers could begin to create a true "a la carte" package in which people select the specific TV services they pay for.

"While we don't know the pricing for any Google product, it is safe to assume this bundle would be far cheaper than a traditional TV package," he said. "These dynamics have the potential to exacerbate cord cutting and may create a vicious cycle as the cost of programming on traditional TV would move higherwith each loss of a (subscriber) - increasing the odds that another will cut the cord."

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