They changed the player a bit this year and it seems to me that things run much more smoothly. I only have like 4 mbps download speed but this season I've been able to go pretty much every game without the quality dipping below an HD level. Last year it seems like it was always a struggle for me just to watch the game without constant loading breaks. Might just be something on my end though.
Anyways, for me it's honestly worth the price of admission just to avoid the drunken ramblings of Buck Martinez.