What costs $2.5 billion per year, only lasts for 17 days, and whoever gets to write that check considers themselves very, very lucky?
You won’t guess, so I’ll tell you; it’s the NFL “Sunday Ticket” service that DirecTV has owned for the past decade-plus.
This 2022 season is the final one in their contract, and the streamers were willing to spend whatever it took to attain the rights in the future. Apple and Amazon were the early leaders to win, but it looks like Google will snatch them in the 11th hour.
DirecTV has been paying $1.5 billion since it renewed in 2014, and the new price tag has added another billion per year. The Wall Street Journal reported that Google and YouTube were having some intense talks with the NFL, and negotiations could conclude shortly, becoming official as early as Wednesday potentially.
What is “Sunday Ticket?” If you are a hardcore NFL fan, I don’t have to tell you, but for those not in the know, it is the package that allows fans to watch games outside their local market.
More importantly, it delivers the “Red Zone” channel that takes viewers from game to game when teams are close to scoring or games are heading down the stretch.
The NFL has created so many unique revenue streams that they are the envy of every American sports league. Included in that is NFL+, their own foray into a proprietary streaming service that gives fans a plethora of new content and shows.
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