From cable to streaming: The new shift in NFL Sunday Ticket

The NFL Sunday Ticket will move to YouTube TV next season. This is one of the most-anticipated changes in the upcoming NFL season. The NFL announced it sealed a deal with tech giant Google in December for its out-of-market games. This marks a remarkable shift by the NFL in how it will now broadcast league games.

The NFL Sunday Ticket has been a stronghold of football fandom in the United States since 1994. DirecTV has been its longtime home and the out-of-market games have become synonymous with the cable provider. DirecTV's inability to catch on further augments the massive decline cable TV is experiencing within the country.

Details and pricing concerns

The deal will see Google pay $2 billion annually for the exclusive rights to the Sunday Tickets. The NFL’s long-term contract with the streaming network is also expected to last seven years. Google prevailed over other bidders, including Apple, to ultimately have YouTube TV become the new home for the out-of-market games.

While Google is yet to disclose the price for the Sunday Tickets subscription, there have been concerns about what the fee would look like far and wide in the United States. The Sunday Ticket bundle on DirecTV started at $293.94 for the 2022 season, but it's unknown whether or not fans will have to pay more once YouTube TV becomes its new home.

Expected streaming features

The responsibility now rests on YouTube TV to provide a supreme viewing experience for fans in an unfamiliar corner. New features are expected to be introduced to ensure the streaming experience matches, if not exceeds, that of cable TV. Google has communicated its commitment to ensuring the games are delivered with premium excitement to fans.

Google's chief business officer, Phillip Schindler, has indicated that a picture-in-picture functionality will be introduced to NFL Sunday Ticket streaming. This will adequately enable viewers to surf around games as they would do with a TV remote control. Features like in-game chats that enable fans to interact during the game are also in the works.

The NFL's transition to streaming

Cable TV has been the bedrock of NFL games broadcast for a long period of time. However, in a constantly changing world, "disruption" is the watchword for every institution aiming for growth. It pretty much looks like the NFL is slowly transitioning to the fast-rising streaming world. More wins are expected for streaming networks in the coming future.

With Amazon now holding the exclusive rights to Thursday Night games, and the likes of ESPN+, Peacock, and Paramount+ having the broadcast rights to certain live games, a future dominated by streaming media now looks inevitable. The Sunday Ticket deal with YouTube evidently showcases where the future of NFL broadcast lies.