Sony and DirecTV are once again teaming up to bring the satellite provider's NFL Sunday Ticket package to PlayStation 3 owners. DirecTV customers with an existing Sunday Ticket subscription can download the app at no cost and stream all out-of-market games in 1080p HD. But it's also an attractive deal for diehard NFL fans who've otherwise cut the cord: like last year, the companies are permitting "those without access to DirecTV" to purchase the entire package a la carte, though the luxury demands a hefty premium.

Sony has priced Sunday Ticket at $299.95 which, despite being $40 cheaper than last season, is far more costly than the $199.95 DirecTV charges existing customers. A quick call to the satellite company's retentions department can often net an even better deal. Further, Sony won't be accepting payment in multiple installments this time around, leaving fans to dole out the full cost up front. Let's just hope both companies learned from last year's fumbled launch of the NFL Sunday Ticket app and will be providing a reliable streaming experience for the 2012 season. The app will be available for download via the PlayStation Store on September 4th.