YouTube has released much-anticipated details on its streaming offering of NFL Sunday Ticket, the out-of-market NFL package.
Sunday Ticket, which had been exclusive to DirecTV for decades, will shift to YouTube next season, with the Google-owned video platform making it available as both an add-on for its YouTube TV service, or as a standalone streaming service through its YouTube Primetime Channels platform.
By far the biggest question for YouTube had been around how it would price NFL Sunday Ticket. NFL fans may not be surprised to learn that YouTube’s streaming packages will not be offering a steep discount compared to DirecTV’s version of the service (with YouTube estimated to be paying $2 billion per year for the rights, the fees need to be commensurate with that price tag).
YouTube TV subscribers will be able to add NFL Sunday Ticket in a special presale period for $249 for the season (it will normally cost $349), or an expanded tier that includes the NFL RedZone channel for $289 (it will normally cost $389 for the season). The company notes that YouTube TV subscribers will have access to every single NFL game, both local and national, if they add Sunday Ticket.
For everyone else that does not have YouTube TV, Sunday Ticket will be offered in the special presale for $349 for the season (it will be $449 after the presale ends), with the RedZone package available for $389 ($489 after the presale). This package will include the out of market games.
The presale period will end after June 6, after which regular prices will kick in.
DirecTV offered the service for just under $300 for the season, with a premium tier that included the NFL RedZone channel and a fantasy-focused channel for just under $400 for the season. Of course, DirecTV also required that users have its satellite TV service.
YouTube is taking a similar playbook, with YouTube TV subs getting a steep discount on Sunday Ticket, but making it more widely available than it was before through Primetime Channels (albeit at a higher price).
YouTube says that it will also add new functionality to Sunday Ticket that was not available previously. That includes “Multiview,” which it rolled out during the March Madness tournament, and lets users watch up to 4 games at the same time. YouTube also says fantasy data, replays, and real-time stats will be integrated into the service. The company also plans to add shopping integrations, letting fans buy team merch mid-game.
While YouTube will be selling Sunday Ticket to fans, the NFL and RedBird Capital have launched a new company that will sell it to bars, hotels, restaurants and other commercial venues. The new company, EverPass Media, will take on DirecTV, which has dominated the commercial TV business for years.
