Less than one quarter of DirecTV subs pay for NFL Sunday Ticket

Less than a quarter of DirecTV's subscriber base paid for NFL Sunday Ticket last season, according to S&P Kagan data.

Why it matters: If you're looking for a reason why DirecTV has no interest in keeping Sunday Ticket, look no further.

• DirecTV, which has held Sunday Ticket rights exclusively since 1994, has one season left on its current deal with the NFL, for which it pays the league $1 billion annually.

By the numbers: More than half of DirecTV subscribers in Kagan's survey did not have Sunday Ticket last season.

• An additional 16% received Sunday Ticket for free as part of a new customer promotion, while 7% said they weren't sure if they subscribed.

What's next: Along with Sunday Ticket, the NFL is also in the middle of selling a stake in its media business, hoping to land a single buyer for both.

• Sunday Ticket is currently seen as being Apple's to lose, with Amazon still in the picture.
• The NFL is expected to command north of $2 billion for Sunday Ticket.