After months of negotiations, YouTube has officially landed a major deal to bring NFL Sunday Ticket games to YouTube and YouTube TV starting in 2023.
YouTube today officially confirmed that NFL Sunday Ticket will be coming to both YouTube Primetime Channel and YouTube TV starting in 2023. The landmark deal moves Sunday Ticket rights away from DirecTV for the first time since its inception in 1994. Apple TV+, Amazon, and others were previously in line for the rights.
The deal was announced in a blog post by YouTube that confirms that YouTube Primetime Channels and YouTube TV will have exclusive distribution rights for NFL Sunday Ticket games starting with the 2023 NFL season, which begins in September.
The deal will reportedly cost YouTube around $2 billion per year according to The Wall Street Journal.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said:
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, 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.
The arrival of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV won’t rise prices of the core package, with Sunday Ticket coming as an add-on for the cable replacement and as an a la carte option on YouTube Primetime Channels. Pricing has not yet been announced.
NFL Sunday Ticket consists of regular-season NFL games that are considered “out of market” based on the viewer’s location. This allows fans to follow their favorite team in any location, and view games that otherwise wouldn’t be broadcast by local channels.
The blog post also notes that YouTube and the NFL will “determine additional ways to support distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket in commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants.” YouTube will also now be a presenting sponsor of “Back Together Saturday” as well as “NFL Kickoff Weekend,” and there will be new “attendance opportunities” for YouTube Creators and “exclusive access to official content.”
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