As of now, US-based NFL fans can sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. In doing so, these fans can lock in huge savings.
NFL Sunday Ticket will be available across web, TV, mobile and tablet devices that support YouTube and YouTube TV, with no satellite dish needed. Consisting of all out-of-market Sunday regular-season NFL games (based on a viewer’s location) broadcast on FOX and CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket will allow fans to follow all their favourite teams and players no matter where they live.
How much does NFL Sunday Ticket cost?
Any YouTube TV member with a Base Plan can currently purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket add-on for $249 for the season, which represents a $100 saving. These members can also choose to bundle NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone for a total of $289 during the presale.
Fans who sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket with the YouTube TV Base Plan will have access to not only 100+ live channels, but also every Sunday game, including local, national and out-of-market games.
On Primetime Channels, NFL Sunday Ticket is available for $349 during the presale. Meanwhile the bundled NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone option is available at $389. These both represent $100 savings.
Multiview is coming to YouTube TV, as are shopping and merchandising tie-ins
This coming NFL season, members on YouTube TV will also have access to a number of new features, such as multiview. Plus, members will also receive unlimited DVR storage and personalised recommendations. Added to this, members will also have the ability to view all the key plays, NFL Fantasy data and real time stats.
Some of these innovations are also coming to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube Primetime Channels, such as key plays and multiview. Similarly, users who subscribe through Primetime Channels will see live NFL games featured prominently in their feeds, so they can quickly jump into the action on game days, directly on YouTube.
Finally (and perhaps most interestingly), YouTube is also currently working on adding shopping integrations to its offering. These will allow viewers to buy team merchandise. The company is also aiming to add a range of social features that YouTube users are already familiar with, such as chats and polls.
Why does this matter?
Over the past few months, we’ve extensively covered stories involving big tech companies such as Apple, YouTube and TikTok going ‘all in’ on showing live sport. As such, this move from YouTube should be seen as part of a wider industry trend and battle for supremacy.
However, although the partnership between YouTube and the NFL is notable in itself, YouTube’s announcement that “we are also working on adding shopping integrations so viewers can easily buy merchandise to support their teams” is particularly interesting.
By adding a shopping/e-commerce element to the live viewing experience, YouTube is differentiating its product from those offered by rival companies, who are instead solely using their platforms for streaming purposes. As such, YouTube could not only redefine the live viewing experience for American NFL fans, but it could also fundamentally alter the way they support their teams and buy merchandise.