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UPDATE 12/27/22 10:20 AM EST: The NFL has reached a deal with YouTube to bring NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. The partnership begins in 2023 as an add-on for YouTube TV and a standalone a-la-carte package on YouTube Primetime Channels. The original report follows below.
YouTube is leading the race to snatch exclusive rights for the National Football League’s NFL Sunday Ticket package.
A recent report from The Wall Street Journal claims that the streaming giant is in “advanced talks” with the company for the rights. The two companies could reach an agreement any day now.
The exact terms of the deal are still unknown. For the past 25+ years, DirecTV has owned the exclusive rights for NFL Sunday Ticket.
In contrast, the satellite TV service reportedly pays around $1.5 billion annually for the rights.
Apple and Amazon were also recently linked in talks with the National Football League to stream the NFL Sunday Ticket.
However, Apple recently pulled out of the deal, claiming it doesn’t “see the logic” in Sunday Ticket’s $3.5 billion price tag.
We haven’t heard much from Amazon about a potential deal, but the recent WSJ report suggests that YouTube will end up striking a deal.
NFL Sunday Ticket is the NFL’s yearly subscription service to unlock many weekly games. It lets viewers watch all out-of-market Sunday football games throughout the NFL season.
The service has been in the hands of DirecTV since it launched in 1994. But it will move to a streaming service for the 2023 season.
This represents a major shift from sports leagues to focus more on streaming platforms as consumers continue to “cut the cord.”
Amazon has a deal with the NFL for Thursday Night Football. Additionally, Apple recently signed a deal to bring all Major League Soccer games to Apple TV.
We expect more sports leagues will strike similar deals in the near future, and YouTube TV could end up the home for more than just NFL Sunday Ticket soon.
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