YouTube TV completes deal for NFL Sunday Ticket

[Ram65]

Using NFLBites this year with free streaming has been even better this year. I sit at my desk with a TV and a computer screen. Sometimes I have two Rams steams on and the one that's delayed to catch a replay. Maybe they should call it the National Football Looters.

 

[1maGoh]

@MadGoat Okay, follow up question. Why would youtube/ Google give shit what Fox and CBS think? Unless you're suggesting that they are paying the NFL to force Youtube into a minimum price? That seems far fetched to me but I guess it's possible.

 

[MadGoat]

@MadGoat Okay, follow up question. Why would youtube/ Google give shit what Fox and CBS think? Unless you're suggesting that they are paying the NFL to force Youtube into a minimum price? That seems far fetched to me but I guess it's possible.

One word. Contracts.

There is no way that CBS and Fox paid billions with the potential for Sunday Ticket to completely undercut their audience. They have a say in that price point.

"When the NFL signed contracts with CBS and Fox, the deals included language that mandates Sunday Ticket have a premium price so as not to pull too many eyeballs away from the local market Sunday afternoon games acquired by the broadcast networks, three of the people said."

 

[Mackeyser]

Yeah this is not the best news for NFL revenues. ESPN/Disney pulled out a while ago, Apple pulled out last week. There is a lot riding on this deal, its hard to believe its about to expire and hasnt been replaced yet

100% disagree. Part of them pulling out was the NFL wanting ubiquity… the problem with ESPN, Amazon Prime or Apple TV is that many can’t get them, but everyone has a browser… every OS, every device… heck. I can watch YouTube on my dang fridge…

Going with Apple would have been the worst option and I say that as someone firmly planted in the Apple ecosystem…

ESPN sucks for anyone without a streaming package of cable channels as I found out buying the Disney+ package… I ONLY get ESPN+ and not ESPN… so I have to illegally stream those games unless I can play it with NFL+ and then I can only watch it with my iPad…

This is gonna really put pressure on ESPN (part if Disney) and Amazon Prime to make it easier to view their NFL offerings… once folks see how easy it is to use YouTube TV and to stream Sunday Ticket on YouTube… that annoyance will build… it’ll also put pressure on CBS and Fox to make it easier to view their offerings (I used to be able to use FoxSports and log in with my cable provider ID, but I don’t have the sports tier anymore…)

I see this as a MASSIVE win for the fans not just now, but going forward, the pressure will be on other providers to make it easier to view their offerings and that’s great for fans…

 

[Mackeyser]

Oh, IDK, the NFL is always about money and that is their prerogative and I understand why they are doing it.

Most of us being able to go to sports bars and actually seeing our favorite team loved it and then we could stay at home and not have to pay for beverages & food, so we loved that too. Now, we don't like paying for anything, but it's one of my few indulgences and I don't hold against a company that is involved in making it accessible.

I don’t care about paying so much either.

However, I’m in central FL and I just can’t watch direcTV. My house was already struck by lightning once and I’ve watched others who had it and the snowy pictures during the frequent heavy rains drove me insane.

I want to watch in my tv or my iPad. It’s not that hard. And as a former network and multimedia engineer, I’m familiar with the hurdles that must be overcome to provide that. The problem was when they made those deals two decades ago. The tv execs still had that old RIAA mentality before Steve Jobs finally convinced them that they could either make money from streaming or go broke due to piracy. So they made shitty deals that held back the adoption of newer, fan friendly tech in favor of the cash grab in front of them and now the NFL is behind every major domestic and international league in digital availability. I’d have an easier time watching Premier League football or Cricket than some NFL games.

I think we’re all adjusting. Yeah, most of us grew up with holding the antenna and actually turning the dial… and things have changed and we’re adapting. I’m glad the NFL is now in a position to adapt as well… their offerings are behind and this will give them the flexibility to modernize their offerings.

It’s not our faults that the damn cable companies relied for far too long on their monopolies and with streaming being as ubiquitous as it is that their business model looks as outdated as a local blacksmith did in 1928…

Mark my words, this will allow for a la carte offerings in the future and we’ll see story after story about some genius in the NFL head office coming up with the idea 25 years after everyone else has been doing it and then expect to be lauded for their “forward thinking”

Oh well, I’m just thrilled that it’ll be easier to be legit and watch wherever I want to watch…

 

[Mackeyser]

Anyone living in rural areas with no fiber internet or near enough to a mobile cell tower to download at the speed needed to utilize YoutubeTV will be unable to access NFL Sunday Ticket.

NFL Sunday Ticket / ATT Direct TV did give the rural areas the option if wanted.

On a personal note if Direct TV does not offer NFL Sunday Ticket I will be moving to another digital satellite TV service. I have been on Direct TV since the Fall of 1994.

Have you considered StarLink? In rural areas, it’s really outperforming… it’s only in suburban/urban areas that it bogs down and doesn’t perform well and the lag is way less

 

[RhodyRams]

I quit paying to watch televised football when the Rams moved back to LA ( used as time references only)

subscribed to NFL+ this year and the Rams sucked again.. not paying a thing next year. I promise

 

[RamFanWA]

Anyone living in rural areas with no fiber internet or near enough to a mobile cell tower to download at the speed needed to utilize YoutubeTV will be unable to access NFL Sunday Ticket.

NFL Sunday Ticket / ATT Direct TV did give the rural areas the option if wanted.

On a personal note if Direct TV does not offer NFL Sunday Ticket I will be moving to another digital satellite TV service. I have been on Direct TV since the Fall of 1994.

I live in one of those under-privileged zones, where no one is running fiber to reach 2 customers - and the CenturyLink DSL line was like dial-up in the 80's...

Anyway, several wireless carriers offer Internet service through a dedicated modem using 5G technology. They may not be deployed everywhere yet, but is worth a look.

T-Mobile Internet
For T-Mobile it is an unlimited bandwidth service with speeds basically dependent upon proximity to a local tower with a cost of just $50/mo, including taxes. Although since it is not a "phone" and is a modem only, I noticed it is not strapped with 911 charges and every othere damn tax they slip in there.... [[No charge for the editorial. remarks]]

Other carriers may have similar services... It is worth a look...

 

[dieterbrock]

100% disagree. Part of them pulling out was the NFL wanting ubiquity… the problem with ESPN, Amazon Prime or Apple TV is that many can’t get them, but everyone has a browser… every OS, every device… heck. I can watch YouTube on my dang fridge…

The NFL wants revenue, Apple and ESPN want ROI, Apple was looking at paying a higher number than what Youtube paid. Reports were in the 3 billion range
Was supposed to be a bidding war, ended up being a discount sale

 

[Mackeyser]

The NFL wants revenue, Apple and ESPN want ROI, Apple was looking at paying a higher number than what Youtube paid. Reports were in the 3 billion range
Was supposed to be a bidding war, ended up being a discount sale

That makes my point.

the NFL sought ubiquity and Apple has a history of charging exorbitant fees and prices and maintaining closed systems.

Apple runs best (and sometimes only) on Apple products. YouTube runs on literally everything... I can stream it on my fridge... Honestly it's refreshing they didn't take the Apple money... I don't get ESPN anymore cuz I don't have cable... This move will at least let everyone have a shot at getting the NFL... I mean remember when the NFL head offices in NYC couldn't get Sunday Ticket for years?

I don't think getting $2.5B for Sunday Ticket is settling especially when with YouTube’s international reach, the International markets can be approached with a much lower cost

 

[dieterbrock]

That makes my point.

the NFL sought ubiquity and Apple has a history of charging exorbitant fees and prices and maintaining closed systems.

Apple runs best (and sometimes only) on Apple products. YouTube runs on literally everything... I can stream it on my fridge... Honestly it's refreshing they didn't take the Apple money... I don't get ESPN anymore cuz I don't have cable... This move will at least let everyone have a shot at getting the NFL... I mean remember when the NFL head offices in NYC couldn't get Sunday Ticket for years?

I don't think getting $2.5B for Sunday Ticket is settling especially when with YouTube’s international reach, the International markets can be approached with a much lower cost

Apple was close to 3 billion per year, they bailed, Youtube allegedly at 2 billion per year
That is what is referred to as a "Shit Ton" of money lost