The National Football League announced a multi-year agreement with Google that will bring the “NFL Sunday Ticket” package of out-of-market games to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels.
NFL Sunday Ticket has been available through DirecTV since 1994, but that deal expired. DirecTV, which had been paying about $1.5 billion per year, decided it wasn’t worth paying the higher price the league was demanding.
Financial terms and the price for the service were not disclosed. Google will reportedly be paying the NFL $2.5 billion annually for Sunday Ticket, which offers Sunday-afternoon telecasts from CBS and Fox in markets where the games aren’t available locally. The move indicates deep-pocketed tech companies are willing to spend to bring high-profile sports to their streaming platforms.
Sports was seen as the last bastion of traditional linear TV, but increasingly games are becoming available via streaming to cord-cutters no longer willing to buy pricey cable and satellite subscriptions.
NFL Thursday Night Football is on Amazon Prime Video and Major League Baseball games are on Apple TV Plus.
Apple had been the front-runner to win Sunday Ticket, but reportedly pulled out. The Walt Disney Co. and Amazon were also contenders.
“We’re excited to bring NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels and usher in a new era of how fans across the United States watch and follow the NFL,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “For a number of years we have been focused on increased digital distribution of our games and this partnership is yet another example of us looking towards the future and building the next generation of NFL fans.”
Starting next season, NFL Sunday Ticket will be available on two of YouTube's growing subscription businesses: as an add-on package on YouTube TV and as a standalone, a la carte offering on YouTube Primetime Channels.
“YouTube has long been a home for football fans, whether they're streaming live games, keeping up with their home team or watching the best plays in highlights,” YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said. “Through this expanded partnership with the NFL, viewers will now also be able to experience the game they love in compelling and innovative ways through YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels. We're excited to continue our work with the NFL to make YouTube a great place for sports lovers everywhere.”
The NFL and YouTube said they will work together to determine additional ways to support distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket in commercial establishments, such as bars and restaurants.
As part of the agreement, YouTube and the NFL will facilitate exclusive access to official content and attendance opportunities for select YouTube Creators at key NFL tentpole events. YouTube is now also the presenting sponsor of both “Back Together Saturday” and “NFL Kickoff Weekend.” Back Together Saturday is the league’s official start to training camp, when all 32 NFL clubs hold practices with club-led fan events.
“As the ways fans enjoy NFL football evolve in a changing media landscape, partnerships with innovators like YouTube will ensure that more games are available to more fans,” Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and chairman of the NFL’s Media Committee, said. “This partnership will grow our game for future generations and allow them to follow their favorite sport.” ■
