NFL on the air!

So it was just announced that Direct TV had renewed the NFL Sunday Ticket.  Look at this:

DIRECTV RENEWS SUNDAY TICKET 

"DirectTV announced renewal of its NFL Sunday Ticket deal with the National Football League. Renewal of the exclusive right to distribute every Sunday out-of-market NFL game had been required for completion of DirecTV’s pending acquisition by AT&T. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the new agreement expands the satellite pay TV company’s rights to stream NFL Sunday Ticket live on mobile devices and via broadband Internet."

The last line is the entire reason AT&T bought Direct.  Look for more of their carriage agreements to have this clause.  AT&T was not able to buy their way into the TV business with U-Verse, so this is the new in.  This one will work for them because this is the future of how cable TV will be delivered, anywhere, anytime.  It is the way Charter will do it, Comcast, everyone.

Welcome to the future and the next time someone tells you pay for play is dead, refer them to this transaction.  Content is king, and your audiences, your customers, pay for it every day because they can customize it to their taste.