Google’s YouTube is rolling out new pricing options for sports fans that want NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing them to pay for the package over four monthly installments instead of the full price outright.
The Sunday Ticket Package is available as an add-on to YouTube TV’s base package and a la carte via YouTube Primetime Channels, with the 2023 season starting September 10. The company is offering a $50 discount until September 19, with NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV costing $299 for a limited time (plus requires an extra $72.99 per month recurring fee for the YouTube TV base plan) and Primetime Channels promotionally priced at $399. Both come with access to every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game, but YouTube TV subscribers also get access to local and national regular season games, preseason games and post season games that are carried as part of YouTube TV’s live streaming TV lineup of more than 100 broadcast, cable and regional sports networks.
In a Wednesday blog YouTube said the monthly payment plan option comes in response to feedback, where a big ask was for more flexible billing options for the popular pro football coverage.
Monthly payment plan options are available to viewers in most states and allows them to pay the equivalent of a full-priced single payment spread over four equal monthly installments. So for example, purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket through Primetime Channels at the promotional price would be $99.75 for the first month, and then three more equal payments over the next three months. Even if customers opt for the monthly payment plan, they can’t cancel their membership for the season and will be automatically charged for any remaining payments. Same goes for those who buy Sunday Ticket with a one-time full payment, as YouTube won’t offer any options for refunds or cancelations once the package is purchased.
Monthly payment plans aren’t available in every state. Those not getting the option include Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nevada and Tennessee.
The company noted customers of Verizon, Frontier and WOW! (the latter two which now offer YouTube TV as their main video product) can purchase Sunday Ticket through those providers and may also be eligible for special discounts. Comcast also just announced a discount, offering Xfinity customers $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket when they purchase it through Primetime Channels – but only for those that bundle internet and TV service through the operator.
And as YouTube TV looks to make its big football debut this season the company is sweetening its NFL Sunday Ticket package with extended free access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max service for those who purchased before August 14. Google executives had teased an NFL Sunday Ticket/Max bundle during its most recent quarterly earnings call but didn’t disclose pricing or details. According to The Desk, starting this week YouTube TV is emailing customers about eligibility for a four-month free trial of Max. Whether there will be additional combinations of Max and Sunday Ticket remains to be seen.
In addition to promos and monthly installment plans, within the next week it will introduce student plans on YouTube for NFL Sunday Ticket.
Enhanced features
Football fans are also poised for some enhanced features as YouTube said NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will be able to choose from a wide variety of multiview combinations to watch games side-by-side – including local NFL with out-of-market Sunday Ticket games for YouTube TV. YouTube introduced multiview capabilities in March and has been expanding the feature.
On YouTube, viewers will also have the chance to engage with live chat and polls on mobile devices and TVs, with features such as NFL Shop integrations coming soon. Key plays – a feature from YouTube TV – is also making its way to the YouTube platform for NFL Sunday Ticket. This season key plays will only be available on TVs.
How the addition of the highly coveted sports rights package to YouTube TV will impact the virtual MVPDs subscriber count remains to be seen. While other leading vMVPDs such as Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo lost subscribers in Q2, Leichtman Research Group estimates YouTube TV added 200,000 in the period for a total base of around 5.9 million.