Comcast is playing false-advertising whistleblower, filing a lawsuit against satellite operator DirecTV for claiming that it gives subscribers “free" access to the premium NFL Sunday Ticket package. Comcast said that the ad campaign is “an outright lie."
At issue is the fact that DirecTV's Sunday Ticket offer "requires a two-year contract with hefty termination fees for early cancellation," said Comcast in the suit, with an automatic renewal for the second season coming in "at full price." And that, the cableco argued, is hardly “no extra charge." Sunday Ticket's full regular-season retail price is $334.95.
NFL Sunday Ticket has been a big hit for DirecTV, offering access to every NFL matchup from FOX and CBS throughout the season, even out-of-market and blackout games. Comcast is asking a Chicago court to enjoin DirecTV's campaign for the service, and is also asking for financial damages.
“In the wake of the recent resolution of the NFL's labor dispute, defendant DirecTV has launched a multi-million-dollar, multimedia advertising campaign, baiting consumers with the claim that DirecTV's popular NFL Sunday Ticket service – which ordinarily costs hundreds of dollars per year – is currently available for 'free' or at 'no extra charge,'" reads the lawsuit. “Unfortunately for consumers the claim of 'free' is an outright lie."
DirecTV would beg to differ.
"We think it's deplorable that Comcast is trying to compete in the courtroom rather than in the marketplace," DirecTV said in a counterstatement. “New customers who sign up for DirecTT can indeed get NFL Sunday Ticket at no extra charge for one year and there is no requirement to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket the following year."
Further, it added, "The last thing we want to do is mislead new customers; that's not exactly a smart way to begin a relationship. Comcast knows that, they just have no other way to compete with our best offer of the year."
