DirecTV this week inked a deal with NFL Media that renews its affiliation agreement to carry NFL Network on its satellite systems and adds distribution to DirecTV Stream and U-Verse DirecTV is also bringing the NFL RedZone to customers.
Under the multi-year deal DirecTV for the first time will carry NFL RedZone across all platforms and be part of an enhanced Sports Pack add-on offering. It marks the first time that DirecTV Stream customers will have access to NFL RedZone or a Sports Pack.
The version of NFL RedZone DirecTV subscribers can access is hosted by Scott Hanson, with the promise to deliver “every touchdown from every game to fans on Sunday afternoons.”
DirecTV, which held NFL Sunday Ticket rights since 1994 until Google’s YouTube and YouTube TV scored them starting with the upcoming season, had its own popular version of RedZone hosted by Andrew Siciliano since 2009. NFL Media launch its own iteration of RedZone with Hanson and once DirecTV was no longer the Sunday Ticket package holder, only one version remained. So DirecTV customers are still getting access to RedZone, but the one with Hanson.
“The addition of NFL RedZone on DirecTV is essential for our sports fans from coast to coast,” said Vince Torres, chief marketing officer of DirecTV. “The NFL joins a strong lineup of networks our customers are familiar with to make the package the best a la carte sports offering in the industry, regardless of how users engage with DirecTV.”
Starting in August RedZone is part of the enhanced add-on Sports Pack DirecTV is offering to satellite subscribers, featuring a lineup of 20 pro and specialty sports networks. The Sports Pack costs $13.99 per month for satellite subs or $14.99 per month for DirecTV Stream subscribers. See the full channel lineup here.
“DirecTV was an initial launch partner of NFL Network over 20 years ago and we’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership which caters to millions of DirecTV customers who are NFL fans,” said Hans Schroeder, executive vice president of Media Distribution for the NFL. “This renewal will provide fans across all DirecTV platforms the ability to watch NFL Network’s award-winning coverage of America’s most popular sport while also giving greater access to the wildly popular NFL RedZone.”
NFL Network also provides year-round content including live preseason and regular season games, studio shows like Good Morning Football, NFL GameDay Morning and NFL Total Access, as well as original series.