Derrick Henry, of the Tennessee Titans, on stage for a Meet & Greet with NFL SUNDAY TICKET subscribers on Friday Jan. 31, 2020 (Peter Barreras/AP Images for DIRECTV)
NFL Sunday Ticket will have a new home next year. On Thursday, Dec. 22, the league announced it has come to an agreement with Google to distribute out-of-market games on YouTube.
According to a report by The Associated Press, the seven-year deal is valued at over $2 billion per season. The agreement will effectively move the popular NFL Sunday Ticket programming from DirecTV, which has been its home since it launched in 1994.
“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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
“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,” he continued.
This isn’t the first time the league has abandoned traditional cable for a streaming service, something Goodell said will become more common. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the NFL also has a partnership with Amazon Prime for its Thursday Night Football package, which began earlier this season.
The Sunday Ticket package will be available on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki expressed excitement at the partnership.
“YouTube has long been a home for football fans, whether they’re streaming live games, keeping up with their home team, or watching the best plays in highlights,” Wojcicki said.
“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,” she continued. “We’re excited to continue our work with the NFL to make YouTube a great place for sports lovers everywhere.”
NFL Sunday Ticket has more than 10 million subscribers, the league said.
Twitter users weighed in with their thoughts.
“Love it. Direct tv is literally the worst and their UI is awful,” author Carlos Whittaker tweeted.
“Not a Fan of it. I currently get complimentary Sunday Ticket with my DirecTV subscription,” a user identified as Brian Johnson wrote.
Some joked about the potential costs and technology divide the switch could cause.
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR DIRECTV – Derrick Henry, of the Tennessee Titans, on stage for a Meet & Greet with DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET subscribers at the DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET Lounge on Friday Jan. 31, 2020, in Miami, FL. (Peter Barreras/AP Images for DIRECTV)
