Saturday, October 24, 2026

NFL Sunday Ticket Is Still Up for Grabs

  • DirecTV is paying $1.5 billion this season for rights to Sunday Ticket.
  • The NFL has vowed to sell Sunday Ticket rights to a streaming service.
Packers rookie receiver Christian Watson catches touchdown against Dallas Cowboys during NFL game at Lambeau Field
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The race is still on to acquire NFL Sunday Ticket rights in a record-breaking deal.

Sunday Ticket — which has been on DirecTV since 1994 and allows subscribers to watch every NFL game on Sundays regardless of their home market — will be up for grabs after this season.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in July that a decision on who will acquire Sunday Ticket would be made by this fall, but the league has yet to receive a bid it deems reasonable.

  • DirecTV is paying $1.5 billion this season for rights to Sunday Ticket.
  • The NFL has vowed to sell Sunday Ticket rights to a streaming service.
  • Apple, Disney, Amazon, and Google are all in contention to acquire Sunday Ticket.
  • A deal could cost up to $3 billion annually.

Sunday Ticket could potentially be sold in a package deal with NFL Media. The NFL is looking to offload a stake in the media arm, which includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and NFL.com.

DirecTV Issues 

Earlier in the NFL season, DirecTV experienced outages on its Sunday Ticket broadcasts for two consecutive weeks. Week 2 of the NFL season saw Sunday Ticket unavailable for nearly 90 minutes, which caused DirecTV to issue prorated refunds to customers.

Sunday Ticket on DirecTV costs close to $300 for the 2022 NFL season; a Sunday Ticket Max option that includes NFL RedZone goes for near $400.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

hanson_smiling
First at FOS

Scott Hanson Promises Fewer RedZone Ads to Start 2026 Season

Hanson emphasized such decisions are out of his hands.

DAZN Acquires EverPass Media, Gains Sunday Ticket’s Commercial Rights

The London-based company is expanding its U.S. foothold.
Aug 17, 2026; Mason, OH, USA; A fan uses a phone to watch the doubles match between Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and Peyton Stearns of the United States during the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

ESPN Using RedZone Branding for US Open Coverage

It remains unclear who will host the RedZone-style tennis coverage.
Aug 15, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes the ball againnst the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

NFL Network’s Initial ESPN Preseason Ratings Rise 3%

Rams-Chiefs averaged a Week 1–high 2.38 million viewers.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/23/26 – JJ Watt Takes CBS Chair, FIFA Rights Shake-Up, Small-Market World Series

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

Troy Aikman Says He’d Consider Role With Cowboys

Aikman welcomes conversations with Jerry Jones as his ESPN contract nears expiration.
Aug 30, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Television personality Britt McHenry in the stands during a second round match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Tennys Sandgren of the United States on day four of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
October 23, 2026

Britt McHenry Out at Trump Admin After Viral Drink-Throwing Incident

McHenry joined the State Department as a press advisor last month.
October 24, 2026

Luke Kuechly Calls Netflix NFL Role a Work ‘In Progress’

Kuechly is also calling some regional NFL action for CBS.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; ESPN Monday Night Football logo on an end zone camera before the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Houston Texans in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
October 23, 2026

Ranking Troy Aikman’s Likeliest ESPN Replacements

ESPN has yet to formally offer Aikman a new contract.
Zach Lowe Sean Fennessey The Ringer
October 22, 2026

Substack: No Deal With The Ringer, Even as Talent Flocks to Platform

Zach Lowe is the latest Ringer talent to launch a Substack newsletter.
Troy Aikman
October 22, 2026

Examining Troy Aikman’s Options After J.J. Watt-CBS Deal 

Aikman has yet to receive a formal offer to return to ESPN.
NBC Sports Logo
October 22, 2026

Comcast-NBCUniversal Split Comes With $1B Cost, Layoffs

The NBC Sports parent company will take on a hefty restructuring charge.