The National Football League has struck a deal for a new home for its popular Sunday Ticket package.
The league has agreed to a seven-year deal with Google, which will move the package from DirecTV to YouTube TV beginning in 2023.
While the exact value is not known at this point, the NFL wanted to find a deal worth around $2.5 billion per year — $1 billion more than its current rate. ESPN reports that the deal is over $2 billion per year, but the exact figure is unknown.
Apple, Amazon, and ESPN were the other parties interested in hosting the package.
Apple was once considered the leader but dropped out of the race because it “didn’t see the logic” after not being granted access to certain aspects and rights that were not part of Sunday Ticket. It has also been reported that Apple was going to offer the service on AppleTV+ at no additional cost to subscribers, which the NFL opposed.
Sunday Ticket is a package that allows NFL fans to watch live out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons. It was created in 1994 and has only been available on DirecTV.
The league said that the move to a streaming service is in the best interest of the fans and its future. Most recently, the NFL moved its primetime Thursday Night Football games exclusively to Amazon Prime.
“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,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft agreed with the commissioner’s sentiment.
“Partnerships with innovators like YouTube will ensure that more games are available to more fans,” he told ESPN. “This partnership will grow our game for future generations and allow them to follow their favorite sport.”
YouTube also committed to innovation as part of the partnership through a news release.
“Through this expanded partnership with the NFL, viewers will now also be able to experience the game they love in compelling and innovative ways through YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels,” wrote CEO Susan Wojcicki.
The package will be available as an add-on for YouTube TV and a standalone option for YouTube Primetime channels. The price, which averages between $300 and $400 per year, is expected to remain the same.
Front Office Sports has reported that this deal is only for the residential portion of Sunday Ticket. The NFL still owns the rights for the commercial version, which would serve bars and restaurants, and DirecTV is still in the running.
