The National Football League (NFL) announced on Thursday,
December 22, that Google’s YouTube TV has earned the rights to its Sunday
Ticket subscription package, starting next season. The deal marks the league’s
second media rights agreement with a streaming service.

YouTube TV will reportedly pay $2
billion roughly a year for the rights of the Sunday Ticket package, according to
sources. The league had been in negotiations for months for the rights to the
package which was previously held by DirecTV. The league was reportedly aiming for
an agreement with a streaming service in order to broaden the NFL’s reach and
partnership.

Also Read | PSG unsure about allowing Lionel Messi to show World Cup at Parc des Princes

The bidding for the rights of the popular subscription-based product saw an
intense war with companies like ESPN, Apple, and Amazon who pursued an agreement for the deal.

The NFL announced the official decision on Thursday as Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on the decision with
Google, which owns YouTube TV.

Also Read | Who is Franco ‘Dok’ Harris, son of former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris?

“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,” Goodell said, adding, “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.”

“This partnership will grow our game for future generations and allow them to follow their favorite sport,” Goodell concluded.

From the 2023-24 game season, Sunday Ticket will be available in two ways: as an add-on package on YouTube TV and as a standalone option on YouTube Primetime Channels. Pricing for the subscriptions is yet to be announced.

Also Read | Cincinnati Bengals fans spotted at Green Bay Packers vs Los Angeles Rams MNF game at Lambeau Field: Watch

The Sunday Ticket is a US product and the only way fans can watch live NFL Sunday afternoon games outside of the broadcast stations of CBS and Fox.

In 2021, Amazon acquired exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football, becoming the first streaming-only platform to air NFL games, paying about $1 billion per year.