The league's second media rights deal with a streaming service was announced on Thursday, as it was revealed that the Sunday Ticket subscription package would go to the internet giant.
People familiar with the matter say that YouTube TV will pay $2 billion a year for the Sunday Ticket package. One person said the deal is for seven years.
As an add-on package on YouTube TV, Sunday Ticket will allow you to subscribe to individual streaming services and channels as well as watch movies There is yet to be an announcement of pricing.
"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," the Commissioner said.
The rights to Sunday Ticket have been held by DirecTV since 1994. It did not place a bid to keep its contract alive. According to people familiar with the matter, the satellite-TV provider was willing to offer the games for bars and restaurants, just like it did for "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon.
According to one of the people, the deal with YouTube TV does not include commercial rights, which could increase the package's value.
Sunday Ticket is a U.S. product that allows fans to watch live games outside of their local markets on CBS and Fox.
The last NFL package to get a media rights renewal was this one. CNBC reported last year that Paramount's CBS, Fox and NBC agreed to pay more than $2 billion annually for 11-year packages.
Amazon paid about $1 billion per year for the rights to air "Thursday Night Football."
The league was looking for a new owner for Sunday Ticket. CNBC previously reported that Apple, Amazon, and Disney were interested in bidding for the package.
The internet bundle of broadcast and cable networks is called YouTube TV. The base plan is $65 a month. It was announced in July that YouTube TV had surpassed 5 million customers.
The a la carte option for Sunday Ticket will be a distribution platform similar to Amazon's Prime Channels.
Apple signed a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer. The MLS Season Pass will be available for fans to purchase on the Apple TV app for a monthly fee. For Apple TV+ subscribers who already pay $4.99 a month, they can sign up for $12 a month.
In recent months, YouTube TV emerged as a strong contender for the rights, given it could provide a lot of what the league was hoping to achieve with a new Sunday Ticket partner and the ability to support bundled legacy TV.
The league was trying to get Sunday Ticket to end up on a streaming service, according to the commissioner. "I think that's best for consumers at the moment," he said.
It looked like Apple was close to getting the rights. The company has expanded its sports offerings for Apple TV+. It recently signed a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer and began airing baseball games on Friday nights.
CNBC previously reported that Apple wanted more flexibility with how to distribute the package because of the Sunday Ticket restrictions.
Amazon is a streaming-only platform and airs "Thursday Night Football" games.
The games can be found in bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers. The two agreed on a multi-year deal before the season began. People familiar with the matter say that DirecTV would like to deliver Sunday Ticket games in a similar capacity.
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