Highlights
1. Google won the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket and made it available on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime channels.
2. NFL Sunday Ticket has only drawn in about 1.3 million customers this season, falling short of the estimated 4.5 million needed for profitability.
3. Despite the low numbers, 41% of those who signed up for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV are new subscribers, indicating overall growth for the platform.
4. NFL Sunday Ticket is expensive, starting at $349 for the season on YouTube TV, and does not include local or primetime games.
NFL Sunday Ticket: Subscribers and Challenges
Over the past year, the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket were up for grabs, leading to a bidding war won by Google. This resulted in the availability of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime channels starting this NFL season.
However, the numbers regarding subscribers are not looking promising. According to Antenna, NFL Sunday Ticket has only attracted around 1.3 million customers this season. Estimates suggest that Google would need about 4.5 million customers to make the deal profitable.
Interestingly, this number is only a slight increase of 100,000 compared to DIRECTV’s final season of NFL Sunday Ticket. It seems that making the package more accessible has not significantly boosted sign-ups.
Nonetheless, there is still positive news for YouTube TV. About 41% of NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers are new to the platform, indicating that YouTube TV is growing thanks to the inclusion of NFL Sunday Ticket. This was the primary motivation for Google in acquiring the rights.
However, the relatively low number of subscribers for NFL Sunday Ticket is not surprising. The package does not include local or primetime games but offers access to every other game on Sundays. This makes it ideal for die-hard NFL fans who want to watch every single game live instead of relying on YouTube highlights afterward.
The price of NFL Sunday Ticket plays a significant role as well. Starting at $349 for the season on YouTube TV, it is relatively expensive. This high cost is due to the deals NFL has with CBS and FOX for airing local games, necessitating a higher price for NFL Sunday Ticket. It amounts to about $112.25 per month for four months, but YouTube allows for monthly payments.
Overall, while the numbers for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers may not be as expected, the inclusion of the package on YouTube TV is still contributing to the platform’s overall growth.
