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Sports bars across the U.S. are set to face a significant change this upcoming NFL season.
NFL Sunday Ticket, the league’s out-of-market game package, will no longer be available at commercial establishments through DirecTV, barring a major reversal of recent negotiations.
For the past three years, DirecTV For Business has continued to provide NFL Sunday Ticket for bars and restaurants, despite the package’s larger distribution shift from satellite to streaming.
In 2023, YouTube TV took over consumer rights to NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV, which had previously had the rights since the package launched in 1994. Also in 2023, NFL Sunday Ticket’s out-of-home rights went to EverPass Media, a joint venture between the NFL and RedBird Capital that launched that year with the goal of distributing streaming sports broadcasts to bars and restaurants.
Starting with the 2026 season, EverPass will be the exclusive commercial platform for NFL Sunday Ticket. Business customers were informed of the news this week.
The change means businesses that have long relied on DirecTV’s satellite equipment to show NFL games will have to make the switch to streaming hardware from EverPass (the EverPass app will also be available on Xumo Stream Box devices for Spectrum Business TV customers).
Deal or No Deal?
EverPass and DirecTV’s three-year deal for commercial distribution expired after the 2025 NFL season.
DirecTV said that EverPass has “failed to meaningfully engage with DirecTV following months of proposals at terms consistent with the prior agreement,” in a note to customers posted online Thursday.
One key disagreement in those negotiations was the value of the rights fee EverPass was seeking from DirecTV, sources tell Front Office Sports.
“We value our longstanding relationship with DirecTV and are grateful for their partnership over the years,” EverPass said in a statement. “Our commitment remains unchanged: to modernize how premium live sports are delivered and ensure commercial establishments navigate this transition with confidence.”
Watch Party
DirecTV said it “remains ready to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket to businesses on Sunday afternoons in the seasons ahead,” and that the EverPass streaming technology “remains unproven in multi-screen commercial settings.”
Negotiations for a new deal between the two sides could continue in the coming months.
EverPass and DirecTV both have existing deals to distribute Amazon Prime Video’s exclusive Thursday Night Football streams to commercial establishments. EverPass also has deals for the NFL’s Netflix Christmas Day games, Apple TV sports, and UEFA Champions League.
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