NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube First Season Overview
NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube First Season Overview
NFL Sunday Ticket Moves to YouTube: A Game-Changer for Football Fans
The 2023-24 NFL season is about to kick off, and fans are in for a treat with a major change in TV coverage. NFL Sunday Ticket, the popular streaming TV package that allows football enthusiasts to watch all out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games during the regular season, has made a surprising move to YouTube. This marks a significant shift from DirecTV, which had exclusive rights to the programming since 1994.
NFL Sunday Ticket for the upcoming season can be accessed through YouTube TV, the cable-like streaming TV service offered by Google, priced at $73 per month. Additionally, YouTube Primetime Channels provide a la carte subscriptions to channels like Starz, Max, and Paramount Plus. With the service costing hundreds of dollars per season, fans can continue to enjoy their favorite games, albeit now on YouTube.
A Streaming TV Package Tailored for Football Fans
NFL Sunday Ticket is a streaming video service that allows football enthusiasts to watch all the “out-of-market” games on any given Sunday. These games are not typically shown on local TV affiliate stations like CBS or Fox. Essentially, this service enables fans to watch all the Sunday games during the regular season, regardless of their location.
It’s important to note that live TV service, either through cable, satellite, or streaming, is still necessary to watch the games aired on local CBS or Fox stations. Additionally, national games such as Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, Sunday Night Football on NBC, Monday Night Football on ESPN and ABC, and games on NFL Network, Peacock, and ESPN Plus are not included in the Sunday Ticket package.
Apart from access to every Sunday afternoon game, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube offers additional features. Subscribers can record games to watch later and stream different games simultaneously on multiple devices within their homes. While outside the home, two additional devices can be used for streaming, except for those on the student plan, which has limitations.
Pricing Options for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube
There are a couple of ways to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, including a special discount plan for students. With a subscription to YouTube TV, priced at $73 per month, fans can add NFL Sunday Ticket for a season price of $349. However, YouTube is currently offering a $50 discount until September 19, bringing the cost down to $299.
For those purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket without YouTube TV through YouTube Primetime Channels, the price for the season is $449, reduced to $399 with the $50 discount until September 19. By bundling NFL RedZone with NFL Sunday Ticket, an additional $40 will be added to the price.
YouTube is also introducing a new monthly payment plan option for NFL Sunday Ticket that allows subscribers to split the cost over four payments. However, this payment option is not available in certain states. College students can avail a special discount, purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket for $109 or $119 with RedZone. Nevertheless, the student plan has restrictions regarding the number of devices that can stream simultaneously and cannot be included in family sharing.
It’s important to note that once a subscriber commits to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, there are no cancellations or refunds allowed.
Understanding NFL RedZone
Another exciting feature for football fans bundled with NFL Sunday Ticket is NFL RedZone. This channel offers hyperkinetic coverage, frequently switching between NFL games to showcase the most exciting plays and scoring opportunities from Sunday afternoon games. The term “red zone” refers to the area inside each team’s 20-yard line, where many scoring plays occur.
For an additional $40, NFL RedZone can be added to the NFL Sunday Ticket package on YouTube. Moreover, cable, satellite, and streaming providers offer the convenience of adding the channel to existing packages, eliminating the need for Sunday Ticket to access NFL RedZone. Alternatively, fans interested only in NFL RedZone can subscribe to NFL Plus Premium, the league’s subscription service, priced at $15 per month or $100 for the season.
Changes in NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube
While the core offering of NFL Sunday Ticket remains the same on YouTube, there are a few notable differences compared to DirecTV. One of the significant changes is the discontinuation of the Game Mix channel, which allowed viewers to watch eight NFL games at the same time. Instead, YouTube offers its own multiview service for NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing viewers to watch up to four games simultaneously.
However, it’s important to mention that YouTube will be sharing “curated multiview streams” without confirming when subscribers will have the ability to choose their preferred games for multiview. Other differences lie in pricing and subscriptions. Unlike before, there is no longer a need for a DirecTV service, contract, or satellite dish to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any free trial like the one previously offered by DirecTV.
NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV vs. YouTube Primetime Channels
There are two options for accessing NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, each with its own advantages. Subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV ensures access to most local NFL games and national TV games like playoffs and Monday Night Football. On the other hand, subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube Primetime Channels requires another live TV service to watch local games, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, preseason games, and playoff games.
By subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket along with YouTube TV, fans gain access to out-of-market Sunday regular-season games, locally shown NFL games, Monday Night Football on ESPN/ABC, and playoff games (excluding the Peacock-exclusive playoff game during Wild Card weekend, available only on NBC in the competing team’s cities).
On the other hand, subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube Primetime Channels provides access to the same out-of-market Sunday NFL games during the regular season, while local games, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, preseason games, and playoff games require an additional, separate live TV service.
It’s important to note that both options for NFL Sunday Ticket include the option to bundle NFL RedZone for an additional $40. However, they do not include Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video or exclusive games on ESPN Plus and Peacock.
The move of NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube marks a significant change in TV coverage for professional football. With the convenience of streaming and the multitude of games available on Sundays, football fans can enjoy every thrilling moment of the NFL season. So get ready to cheer on your favorite teams, as YouTube brings the action straight to your screen!
