New England Patriots tight finish Hunter Henry (85) celebrates his landing run in opposition to the Cleveland Browns in the course of the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium, Oct. 16, 2022.
Scott Galvin | USA As we speak Sports activities | Reuters
The Nationwide Soccer League is finalizing a deal for the rights to its subscription-only bundle of video games often called Sunday Ticket with Google’s YouTube TV, based on folks accustomed to the matter.
The league has been in negotiations for months for the rights to the bundle, lengthy held by DirecTV, with the purpose of inking an settlement with a streaming service to broaden the NFL’s attain and partnership.
The deal, nonetheless, won’t embody a stake in NFL Media, which incorporates the linear cable channels NFL Community and RedZone, which the league has been buying alongside the Sunday Ticket rights, one of many folks stated. The sources requested to not be named as a result of discussions are ongoing.
The Wall Road Journal reported on the present standing of the talks earlier. An NFL spokesperson declined to remark, and Google did not reply to requests for remark.
NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell beforehand stated whereas the NFL was packing the minority stake with Sunday Ticket, it may resolve to promote every property individually.
Phrases of the deal have been nonetheless being ironed out Tuesday, the folks stated. DirecTV has been paying $1.5 billion yearly since 2015. The NFL has been in search of a purchaser for Sunday Ticket keen to pay between $2 billion and $3 billion.
Goodell stated earlier that the league aimed to announce a rights cope with Sunday Ticket by the top of the autumn. The Sunday Ticket bundle has been the NFL’s solely set of media rights that has but to be renewed by 2030.
The cope with YouTube TV comes after numerous media operators, together with Amazon, Apple and Disney’s ESPN, thought-about the rights to the property.
The NFL was in shut talks with Apple till not too long ago, the folks stated. Nonetheless, current restrictions round Sunday Ticket had slowed negotiations with Apple in current months, CNBC beforehand reported.
The league has been seeking to diversify its partnerships with media firms and have an even bigger presence in streaming.
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