The NFL Launches Streaming Service: Does It Affect Sunday Ticket?
The NFL is changing how fans will watch games in the future. Last week, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced that the NFL Sunday Ticket, a television package that offers fans access to all of the league’s games every Sunday, would move away from DirecTV after the 2022-2023 season. Goodell also announced that the league would decide where the premium service would be housed in the fall. Big moves are being made on that front, with a frontrunner quickly emerging amid frenzied interest. That’s not all that the NFL has been up to in the off-season. The league just launched a streaming service of its own. Fans want to know if that will make any difference to the NFL Sunday Ticket. The short answer is no.
The NFL has launched a streaming service ahead of the 2022 NFL season
The NFL has announced the launch of a brand new streaming service. NFL+, the league’s new service, will allow football fans to watch games on the go and access coaching films and condensed replays on their phone or tablet.
The new streaming service will replace the league’s previous streaming offering, NFL Game Pass. According to a press release, those who subscribe to the platform will have access to regional games on the go and all preseason games. Subscribers who opt for the highest level package will also have access to ad-free content and condensed game replays.
NFL+ will cost $4.99 per month for the base subscription. Those looking to view premium content must pay $9.99 per month.
Who is the frontrunner for the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription service?
DirecTV has had the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package since its inception in the 1990s. The cable service provider reportedly had no interest in renewing the contract. Experts argue that the package costs the cable service provider more than it brought in. Amid dropping subscriber numbers, it simply didn’t make sense for the company to bid for the rights. That doesn’t mean the package won’t be lucrative to someone else, though.
A few streaming service providers are interested in the rights, and a frontrunner has emerged. According to NBC Sports, Apple has prioritized winning the bid, and they remain the frontrunner. The bid is a surprising one. Until now, Apple has remained hands-off when it comes to live sports. Amazon is also rumored to be interested, although Amazon’s interest is far less surprising. Amazon has had the rights to a handful of NFL games for a few seasons. Prime Video has also jumped into the baseball game, hosting several MLB games too. It makes sense that they’d want a larger chunk of exclusive live sports.
Apple and Amazon aren’t the only interested parties. Industry insiders claim Google has an interest in hosting the package. According to the New York Times, Google is reportedly interested in hosting NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube. How much a streaming service will pay for the package remains unknown, but industry experts claim the NFL may be looking to get upwards of $3 billion for the rights.
Will the NFL’s streaming service impact the NFL Sunday Ticket?
As it stands, NFL+ won’t impact Sunday Ticket owners for this season, and likely won’t greatly impact subscribers moving forward. However, the new streaming service may be holding up a final decision on who will own the NFL Sunday Ticket after the 2022 season.
According to several sources, the NFL may be interested in including a stake in other NFL media holdings in whatever deal is made. According to Streamable, the package deal would make the NFL Sunday Ticket winner a stakeholder in NFL+, Redzone, and the NFL Network. The package deal could mean the owner will offer fans an NFL “hub” during the four-month season. The NFL and the service’s new home probably won’t have the details worked out for several more weeks.
There is no word on how much potential subscribers could be charged for the NFL Sunday Ticket once it moves to a new home. DirecTV subscribers currently pay between $300 and $400 per season for the subscription, depending on their chosen package.
