Google (GOOG) paid a premium to acquire the rights of ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ and fans are going to feel the hit in their wallets.
The base package for NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2023-24 NFL season comes at $349 while an additional $40 gives access to "NFL RedZone." However, these prices require a subscription to YouTube TV, which announced a price increase from $64.99 to $72.99 just last month.
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The basic offering from DirecTV (T) last season cost $293.94.
Google is paying somewhere from $2 billion to $2.5 billion per year for the next seven years for the NFL Sunday Ticket rights, at least 33% more than the estimated $1.5 billion per year that DirecTV had been paying for the last eight years.
YouTube does offer access to non-YouTube TV subscribers through YouTube Primetime Channels starting at $449 for the base access and $489 with RedZone.
However, fans can access an offering cheaper than last year’s DirecTV price if they purchase early. YouTube is offering $100 off all packages before June 6, which means the base price for subscribers would be at $249 and $289 with RedZone.
A positive for many fans is that YouTube TV’s online-based service means no more need for a bulky and inconsistent satellite dish to access the NFL games.
YouTube TV’s current packages also do not offer access to single games or single team packages, but Christian Oestlien, YouTube’s vice president of product management, said there’s optimism that they can test “new packaging concepts” during the season.
Here’s a look at YouTube TV’s packages:
Sunday Ticket - YouTube TV: $349 ($249 before June 6)
Sunday Ticket & NFL RedZone - YouTube TV: $389 ($289 before June 6)
Sunday Ticket - YouTube Primetime Channels: $449 ($349 before June 6)
Sunday Ticket & NFL RedZone - YouTube Primetime Channels: $489 ($389 before June 6)
