New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns on October 16, 2022.
Scott Galvin | USA TODAY Sports | Reuters
The NFL is fighting over the rights to its subscription-only game bundle called “Sunday Ticket” Google’s According to people familiar with the matter, YouTube TV.
For months, the league has been negotiating the rights to DirecTV’s long-held package, with the goal of striking a deal with the streaming service that would expand the NFL’s reach and partnerships.
However, one of the people familiar with the matter said the deal would not include a stake in NFL Media, which includes linear cable channels NFL Network and RedZone, where the league has been buying Sunday Ticket rights. The sources asked not to be identified because the discussions are still ongoing.
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the status of the talks. An NFL spokesperson declined to comment, and Google did not respond to a request for comment.
NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell has previously said that while the NFL is wrapping minority stakes in Sunday Ticket, it can decide to sell each property individually.
Terms of the deal were still being finalized on Tuesday, the people said. Since 2015, DirecTV has paid out $1.5 billion annually. The NFL has been looking for a Sunday ticket buyer willing to pay $2 billion to $3 billion.
Goodell said earlier that the league’s goal is to announce a rights deal with Sunday Ticket before the end of the fall. The Sunday Ticket package is the only NFL media right that hasn’t been renewed through 2030.
The deal with YouTube TV comes after several media operators, including amazon, apple with Disney’s ESPN, consider the rights to the property.
Until recently, the NFL had been in close talks with Apple, the people said. However, existing restrictions around Sunday Tickets have slowed down negotiations with Apple in recent months, CNBC previously reported.
The league has been looking to diversify its partnerships with media companies and have a bigger presence in the streaming space.
Watch: I believe NFL media rights will move to streaming
