The Red Zone Channel – Is It on Direct TV?
One of the great things about satellite TV is the wide selection of sports programming. Over the past 15 years, Direct TV subscribers have enjoyed even more choice, as the NFL Sunday Ticket package has been offered to subscribers as an alternative to the games on network TV. With the package, you aren’t tied to the games picked out by the network for you, which are usually matchups that appeal to the most people in the particular region you live in. Instead, you can watch any game across the country, so it works out great for displaced fans. But another option has become available over the past few years, the Red Zone channel. What options do you have for this network?
First, it is important to clarify that there are now actually two different channels titled “Red Zone Channel.” The original is produced by Direct TV, and for years was part of the Superfan package. This was an add on package for around $100 a season which included not only the Red Zone channel, but also HD access and other features. The other “Red Zone Channel” is actually produced by the NFL, and just started up before the 2009 season. Similar in format to the Direct TV channel, it switches from game to game when teams are about to score. This version is available to all cable companies and also to Dish Network customers.
While the Superfan package has been eliminated by Direct TV for 2010 and the Red Zone channel rolled into the Sunday Ticket package, it does not look like it will be available for purchase on a stand alone basis. This is a real disappointment for fantasy football players who would like to see all of the scoring going on around the league, but who don’t want to pay $300 a season for NFL Sunday Ticket.
