True, given the way that the Los Angeles Lakers are playing right now, the fact that DirecTV has obtained the right to broadcast the franchise's home games in the California market may not prove to be as lucrative as the company may have hoped. But that's just one part of the big expansion push now underway at DirecTV, where big-ticket items, like agreements to broadcast National Football League games (DirectTV agreed to pay $4 billion to extend its exclusive contract for the NFL 'Sunday Ticket' until 2014) are a big part of what the company offers its subscribers. For a price, that is: getting 'Sunday Ticket' cost football fanatics a hefty $199.95 for the 2012 season. In addition to its tie-ups with local sports teams like the Lakers, this sports programming is helping the company retain its existing customers and attract more subscribers without having to cut pricing.