YouTube Secures NFL Sunday Ticket in Landmark Streaming Deal • InNewCL
#YouTube #Secures #NFL #Sunday #Ticket #Landmark #Streaming #Deal #InNewCL Welcome to InNewCL, here is the new story we have for you today:
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YouTube and the National Football League announced Thursday that the two have struck a deal for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Beginning next season, the NFL Sunday Ticket will be available in two of YouTube’s subscription businesses as an add-on package on YouTube TV and as a standalone a la carte offering on YouTube Primetime channels. The NFL Sunday Ticket has been available exclusively through DirecTV in the US since 1994, but that’s about to change with a major shift in sports streaming.
The Wall Street Journal reports that YouTube is paying $2 billion per season in a multi-year deal for the NFL Sunday ticket package, according to people familiar with the matter.
“YouTube has long been a home for football fans, whether they’re streaming live matches, keeping up with their home team, or watching the best matches in highlights,” said YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki in a press release. “Through this expanded partnership with the NFL, viewers can now experience the game they love in compelling and innovative ways through YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels. We look forward to continuing our work with the NFL to make YouTube a great place for sports lovers around the world.”
The deal will give YouTube viewers the ability to stream almost all NFL games on Sundays starting in the 2023 season, excluding games that air on traditional television in their local markets. Games will continue to be available on other networks throughout the week, including ESPN, ABC and Amazon Prime Video.
Photo credit: YouTube
The news comes as Apple was considered the frontrunner for Sunday ticketing until the tech giant reportedly backed down. Now the package has gone to one of its main competitors.
“We are excited to bring NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels, ushering in a new era in how fans across the United States watch and follow the NFL,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “For a number of years we have focused on increasing digital distribution of our games and this partnership is another example of how we look to the future and build the next generation of NFL fans.”
YouTube’s deal marks a major shift in the media industry, which has gravitated towards streaming in recent years. Even as consumers switched from cable to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, sports fans still watched games through traditional television. But we’ve been starting to see that shift as Apple acquired the rights to Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games, and Amazon inked a deal for the rights to Thursday Night NFL games last year. YouTube’s new deal further cements that shift.
