NFL Sunday Ticket Season 1: Essential Details on YouTube Coverage

NFL Sunday Ticket, the streaming TV package that allows fans to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games, is moving to YouTube. The service will be available through YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels for the 2023-24 NFL season. Subscribers can watch all Sunday games during the regular season, record games, and stream on multiple devices. The service costs $349 for YouTube TV subscribers and $449 for Primetime Channels subscribers, with discounts available until September 19. NFL RedZone can be bundled for an additional $40.

NFL Sunday Ticket, the popular streaming TV package that allows football fans to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games, has found a new home on YouTube. This move comes after DirecTV held the exclusive rights to the programming since 1994.

Starting with the 2023-24 NFL season, fans can access Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV, Google's streaming TV service. YouTube TV costs $73 per month and offers a wide range of channels. Alternatively, fans can opt for YouTube Primetime Channels, which provides a la carte subscriptions to providers like Starz, Max, and Paramount Plus.

It's important to note that an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription is a significant investment, costing hundreds of dollars per season, even with the move to YouTube. However, if you're a die-hard football fan, it may be worth it. Let's dive into everything you need to know about NFL Sunday Ticket for the upcoming season.

NFL Sunday Ticket allows fans to stream all the "out-of-market" football games on any given Sunday. These are the games that aren't being shown on local TV affiliate stations like CBS or Fox. Essentially, this service grants fans access to all Sunday games during the regular season, regardless of their location.

However, it's worth mentioning that you'll still need live TV service through cable, satellite, streaming, or a strong antenna to watch the games airing on your local CBS or Fox station. Additionally, national games, such as Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, Sunday Night Football on NBC, Monday Night Football on ESPN and ABC, and games on NFL Network, Peacock, and ESPN Plus, are not included in the Sunday Ticket package.

Apart from providing access to every Sunday afternoon game, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube offers additional features. Fans can now record games to watch later and stream different games simultaneously on multiple devices within their homes. Outside the home, you can watch on two additional devices at once. YouTube has also introduced a new feature called "multiview," allowing fans to watch multiple games at the same time.

Now, let's discuss the various ways you can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket, including a special discount plan for students.

If you have a subscription to YouTube TV, which costs $73 per month, you can add NFL Sunday Ticket for $349 for the season. However, YouTube is currently offering a $50 discount until Sept. 19, bringing the price down to $299.

For those who don't have YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket is available through YouTube Primetime Channels for $449 per season. The $50 discount also applies to Primetime Channels, reducing the price to $399.

If you want to bundle NFL RedZone with NFL Sunday Ticket, regardless of whether you choose YouTube TV or Primetime Channels, it will cost an additional $40. This brings the press-time totals to $339 and $439, respectively.

YouTube is introducing a new payment plan option for NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing you to split the price over four payments. You'll pay the first 25% when you sign up, followed by an additional 25% each month for the next three months. However, it's important to note that this monthly payment plan is not available in Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and Tennessee.

For college students, YouTube offers a special discount on NFL Sunday Ticket. Students can purchase the package for $109, or $119 with RedZone. However, the student plan has limitations, including the ability to stream to only one device at a time, and it cannot be included in family sharing.

Before subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket, make sure you're absolutely certain, as YouTube does not allow cancellations or refunds for the service.

Now let's discuss NFL RedZone, a channel that provides hyperkinetic coverage by frequently switching between games to show the most exciting plays and scoring opportunities. The "red zone" refers to the area inside each team's 20-yard line, where many scoring plays occur.

You can bundle NFL RedZone with NFL Sunday Ticket on either YouTube platform for an additional $40. Most cable, satellite, and streaming providers also offer the option to add the channel to existing packages, even if you don't have Sunday Ticket.

If you're solely interested in RedZone, you can subscribe to NFL Plus Premium, the league's subscription service. This includes the RedZone channel and costs only $15 per month or $100 for the season. There's also a limited-time promotional offer of $80 for the year.

While the core of NFL Sunday Ticket remains the same on YouTube as it did on DirecTV, there are a few differences to note. One significant change is the removal of the Game Mix channel, which allowed viewers to watch eight NFL games simultaneously. However, YouTube will offer its own multiview service, allowing fans to watch up to four games at once. It's unclear whether subscribers will have the ability to choose which four games they want to watch via multiview.

Other differences lie in pricing and subscriptions. With the move to YouTube, you no longer need DirecTV service or a two-year contract with a satellite dish. However, there doesn't appear to be a free trial option, which DirecTV used to offer for the first week of NFL Sunday Ticket.

In summary, subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV ensures you'll have access to nearly all your local NFL games, as well as other national TV games like the playoffs and Monday Night Football. On the other hand, if you choose YouTube Primetime Channels, you'll need another live TV service to watch your local games, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, preseason games, and playoff games.

Both options allow you to bundle NFL RedZone for an additional $40. However, neither option includes Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video or the Oct. 1 game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons in London, which will be exclusively shown on ESPN Plus. The Peacock-exclusive games on Dec. 23 and during Wild Card weekend on Jan. 13 will only be broadcast on NBC in the markets of the competing teams.

In conclusion, NFL Sunday Ticket's move to YouTube opens up new opportunities for football fans to enjoy their favorite games. With various subscription options and additional features, fans can tailor their viewing experience to their preferences. Whether you choose YouTube TV or Primetime Channels, you'll have access to a wide range of games and the excitement of NFL RedZone. So grab your snacks, settle into your favorite spot on the couch, and get ready for an action-packed season of football.