By Tim Healey
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Highlights
- NFL Sunday Ticket pricing was revealed at $389 this year, plus the $72.99 monthly fee for YouTube TV.
- The lawsuit claims the NFL violated antitrust laws with Sunday Ticket pricing.
- The trial outcome may not change anything for the 2024 season considering kickoff is just months away.
There's an ongoing lawsuit involving the NFL's Sunday Ticket broadcast package, but for those who want to buy the package for this season, the pricing may have come out.
Mike Florio, who covers the NFL for Pro Football Talk, has written about an email he received from YouTube TV, which is the current home for Sunday Ticket. The email appears to have revealed this year's pricing.
No matter how the lawsuit plays out -- a decision could happen this week -- it's unlikely that anything will change for 2024 considering the season starts in about two months.
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Prices Remain High
NFL declined to sell Sunday Ticket on ESPN at a lower cost
Florio says that the email he received shows a price of $389 for Sunday Ticket plus RedZone this year, in addition to the $72.99 monthly subscription to YouTube TV that customers must have before they can order Sunday Ticket.
Florio also says he'd heard of a promo going around the 2024 NFL Draft with a Sunday Ticket price of $215, but he says he never got that offer. He then writes that it appears the offer was only for consumers who didn't have Sunday Ticket the previous season -- and he complains that it's a bit unfair that existing customers didn't get a promo offer like that.
Putting aside any philosophical debates over whether existing customers should get rewarded for their loyalty with promotions, there's bigger price news in Florio's post. Apparently, according to evidence entered at the trial over whether the NFL price gouged or not when it comes to Sunday Ticket suggests that ESPN was willing to sell Sunday Ticket for $70, and let customers choose to follow just one team. The NFL choose not to do that.
The lawsuit is essentially alleging that the NFL violated antitrust laws by gouging consumers on the price of Sunday Ticket so that more people would settle for watching games on the over-the-air Fox and CBS broadcasts.
GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: NFL Ticket appears to have a cost of $389 this season, plus the $72.99 for YouTube TV.
Whether that argument is accepted by the jury or not, NFL Sunday Ticket remains pricey. Florio says that the total price would be paid in four installments of $97.25, with the renewal date being August 5 -- a month before the season starts.
Florio says he's not sure about paying that price to renew, and he also notes that nothing he's seen from covering the trial will make him more or less likely to keep it.
If a successful NFL writer who probably could justify the cost of Sunday Ticket as part of doing business is pausing before paying, perhaps the price is too high -- regardless of whether the NFL is violating antitrust laws or not.
The NFL's popularity makes the package worth it to some, and others will pony up since they live outside their favorite team's home market. Fantasy players and gamblers might find it worth it for RedZone.
On the other hand, if ESPN was willing to sell the package at a lower price, perhaps there would be no need for the current price to be so high.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how the rest of trial plays out -- and how, if the jury sides against the NFL, things may change going forward. Even if the NFL prevails, perhaps it will lower the price in order to earn PR goodwill. We may know more as soon as this week.
Source: Pro Football Talk
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.
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Unusual Arguments Being Made in NFL Sunday Ticket Trial
Major changes could be coming to the current NFL broadcasting model, pending a trial.
- American Football
- NFL
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