Google beat out Amazon and Apple to sign a multi-year deal for NFL Sunday Ticket, giving the company exclusive rights to stream most NFL games through its growing YouTube TV platform starting in the 2023 season.
The competition for NFL Sunday Ticket, currently a “traditional television staple” offered through DirecTV, is the latest sign of lucrative live sports packages moving to streaming platforms operated by tech giants.
As more people cut the cord, sports leagues are increasingly partnering with technology companies as their existing contracts with traditional cable providers expire. These companies are hungry for valuable content, such as sports search — one of the most-watched TV shows — to attract more subscribers to their respective streaming platforms, which mostly offer on-demand content like movies and TV shows.
Live sports are different from on-demand, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said.
Each company brings its own model to streaming, Pachter noted. If Amazon were to win the rights to Sunday Ticket, it would have to figure out whether to offer NFL games for free, as it does with Thursday Night Football, or change the Prime membership model with new tiers.
“I think it’s problematic for Amazon and a good fit for Google,” Pachter said.
Pachter hopes Google will offer Sunday Ticket the same way DirecTV does, for $400 a year to YouTube TV subscribers who already pay $64.99 a month for access to the service, which recently surpassed Netflix as the most popular streaming platform. Google announced Thursday that it will offer games both as an add-on package to YouTube TV and as a standalone offering on YouTube Primetime channels. YouTubeTV has more than five million subscribers and trial accounts.
Sunday Ticket has approximately 1.5 million subscribers with access to all out-of-market games broadcast on FOX and CBS. Google reportedly paid about $2 billion a year for the rights; DirecTV, which has carried Sunday Ticket since its inception in 1994, paid $1.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The NFL said it is still working out details on plans to distribute Sunday tickets to commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants. Amazon partnered with DirectTV to show Thursday Night Football outside of residential homes.
Pachter said Amazon may decide to pursue its Thursday Night Football strategy in other leagues, such as buying the rights to one NBA or NHL game per week. The NBA’s current cable deals expire after the 2024-25 season, and tech giants are expected to bid for streaming rights.
Tech companies are also investing in the sports industry in other ways.
Sports franchises themselves are looking to bolster their technology and streaming offerings. The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, led by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, launched a new $199-a-year streaming service called ClipperVision in October. The strategy is the sports equivalent of a retail brand that sells directly to consumers as an alternative to traditional distribution channels, creating a closer connection with its customers or fans.
The leagues are also testing in-house streaming services. The NFL launched NFL+ in July at $4.99 a month; it streams local and prime-time games, but only to mobile devices. MLB and NBA offer similar services.
Traditional cable TV providers also have streaming platforms. But cord-cutting has proven to be a problem in securing media rights deals. Subscriber churn at DirectTV made it difficult to justify the cost of keeping Sunday Ticket, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Cable companies still have big deals with the NFL. Last year, Fox, CBS, NBC and ESPN signed long-term contracts with the NFL that are said to be worth more than $100 billion.
Can you get NFL ticket on Amazon Prime?
For Amazon, the NFL Sunday Ticket deal would extend the company’s streaming relationship with the league. From the 2022 season through 2033, Amazon Prime Video will be the only place to watch Thursday Night Football in what the NFL is calling its first all-digital package.
How to get NFL Sunday Ticket? The Sunday Ticket is available as an add-on package on YouTube subscription services, YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime channels. To see also : What’s Streaming on Prime Video This Week: Don’t Make Me Go and More. It consists of all NFL Sunday regular season games, depending on the viewer’s location.
Are NFL games included with Amazon Prime?
Amazon has secured the exclusive rights to stream NFL games on Prime Video, marking a new era for sports fans.
How much is NFL Sunday Ticket 2022 on Amazon Prime?
Cost: 50 bucks a month for four months isn’t cheap, but in our case I think it’s worth it. We REALLY want to track our teams. Read also : YouTube has acquired NFL Sunday Ticket in a major game changer. Value: The jury is out.
Does YouTube TV have Sunday Ticket?
Google has announced that Sunday Ticket will be available as an additional service to YouTube TV subscribers. Read also : Weekend Art Events in San Diego: OMA Auction, ‘Sauced’, Lora Mathis, ‘Black Panther’ & More. It is also offered as a standalone service on YouTube’s PrimeTime channels.
How much does YouTube TV pay for NFL Sunday Ticket? Special Offer: Subscribe $1 a week. YouTube signed Sunday Ticket to a seven-year deal, one of the people said, a long-term deal to give Google time to build its subscriber base.
Who will have Sunday Ticket in 2023?
The NFL and Google announced Thursday morning that they have reached a multi-year agreement under which Google’s YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime channels will be the exclusive distributors of NFL Sunday Ticket in the United States beginning in the 2023 season.
How Much Will NFL Sunday Ticket be?
YouTube did not disclose the price of Sunday’s ticket. For the 2022 season, DirecTV Sunday Ticket plans started at $293.94.
How do I get NFL Sunday Ticket on Google TV?
Log in to the NFL SUNDAY TICKET app on your mobile device or browser. Make sure your mobile device is on the same Wi-Fi network as the Chromecast device. Tap the cast icon in the video player controls and follow the on-screen instructions. Select the game of your choice to display on TV.
How to get NFL SUNDAY TICKET on your TV? Go to nflst.directv.com/roku to sign up! Eligibility restrictions apply. Live coverage of every off-sale Sunday regular season game with NFL Sunday Ticket. Watch your favorite teams in full screen or multitask like a champion to lead your Fantasy League by watching games, reviewing scores and highlights.
What devices can you watch NFL SUNDAY TICKET on?
- Google Pixel 3 and above.
- Google Nexus 9 and newer.
- LG G5 and above.
- LG V10 and above.
- Kindle Fire HD 8th generation and later.
- Kindle Fire HDX 8th generation and later.
- OnePlus 7 and above.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and newer.
Does Android TV have NFL SUNDAY TICKET?
You can download the NFL Sunday Ticket app on mobile platforms (Android, Fire OS, iOS), media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV and Roku) to the latest generation of game consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), and select smart TVs.
