7 Questions Every Business Should Ask Before Choosing a Commercial TV Provider

When it comes to making decisions in life, it’s always a good idea to ask a few questions first. And this applies to choosing a commercial TV provider for your business.

Before you sign a contract with a commercial TV provider, you’ll want to have all the available information you can get so you can make an educated decision. That means asking ahead of time about everything from cost, programming packages, sports package add-ons and customer service to scalability, content your customers or employees want and expect and how having TV positively impacts your business. Just to name a few things.

Key Questions to Ask Before Signing a Contract

Here are some questions to ask a potential commercial TV provider before signing on the dotted line.

Question 1: What are the specific sports packages available?

Own a bar or restaurant? If so, it may be in your best interest to have live sports playing on your TVs. According to Joe Hand Promotions, 82% of customers are likely to spend more on food and drinks when their favorite game is on, and 87% said they’d likely stay longer. So, if you’re in the process of choosing a commercial TV provider, be sure to ask what kinds of sports packages they offer and double-check you’re getting what you think you’re getting. Because, depending on the provider and the package you’re getting, certain sports channels and packages may or may not be included.

Question 2: What local and regional channels will I get?

Showing local and regional programming is a great way to connect with your hometown audience. So, it’s important to ask whether a TV package includes access to the appropriate channels. For example, if you own a bar and want to show local sports coverage, you may need to have the correct regional sports networks (RSNs). Sometimes these RSNs are included in your package. Sometimes they’re not. So be sure to ask so you’re not surprised.

Question 3: How reliable is the service?

Choosing a reliable provider is always a smart move, regardless of what you’re purchasing. When it comes to commercial TV providers, you’ll want to know they take reliability seriously. The last thing you want is constant screen downtime in your business, costing you customers and revenue.

Question 4: What kind of technical support and service is included?

Along the same lines as reliability, you’ll also want to ask what kind of technical support and service is included in your TV package. Do they offer free installation? Do they have dedicated customer support you can rely on? You don’t want to find out that no support is coming or it’ll cost extra after the fact.

Question 5: Are there satellite and streaming options?

Commercial TV is not always a “one-size-fits-all” solution. There are different factors that can determine whether satellite or streaming is best for your business. For example, if you’re a smaller business with a strong broadband connection, or if your business is located in a building that won’t allow a satellite to be attached, streaming may be for you. On the other hand, a larger business with its own building and lots of TVs may want to go the satellite route.

This is why asking about your options is a smart move.

Question 6: What if I have multiple locations?

Have more than one business location? If so, you’ll want to know how the provider will handle it. Will they treat you as one entity or several when it comes to things like billing, equipment and licensing? How does having multiple locations impact your channel packages? If you have locations in different regions, can you tailor the packages to those areas? All things you’ll want to iron out before you get too far down the road.

Question 7: Can I scale this package in the future?

You don’t want to get locked into a rigid situation that doesn’t let you scale up or down as needed in the future. If you want more screens, can you fit them under the same contract, or will you need to renegotiate? How does scaling impact your hardware or bandwidth? Is there a fee for reducing TVs?

Get DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS^®

Ready to ask your questions? DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® has the answers.

With both satellite and streaming options available to meet your business’ needs, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS brings live TV, news, entertainment and sports together in one unified system, with packages built for businesses that want a broad lineup without requiring multiple solutions.

With 99% worry-free signal reliability, your screens stay on and your lineup stays steady throughout the day. Standard professional installation is included at no additional cost for satellite customers, so your setup is ready to perform from day one. And for those that go with streaming, installation is so simple, you won’t need to schedule a tech specialist.

Explore our business packages and get started today!