Friday, May 22, 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

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.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium.

The Haves and Have-Nots of the 2026–27 NFL Schedule

Five teams have no primetime appearances scheduled in 2026.

NFL International Slate Gives Legacy Networks Bigger Stage

Legacy broadcast networks are core to this part of the schedule.
Mar 4, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The NFL Network logo on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Network Dark on Comcast in First Carriage Dispute Under ESPN

The dispute does not involve Disney or ESPN’s other channels.

NFL Draft Viewership Falls 12%, Averages 6.6M Over Three Days

Coverage across all networks averaged 6.6 million viewers.

Featured Today

Charlie Pilner and Nikolas Rohrmann

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Deal Brokers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
May 14, 2026

NFL Rivalries Are Made on the Field, Mocked in Schedule Release Videos

Every year, teams find new ways to one-up themselves (and their rivals).
Bart Swings/Falyn Fonoimoana/Avery Poppinga
May 14, 2026

OnlyFans Is Paying Pro Athletes What Their Sports Won’t

The adult-content platform is a reliable income source for niche athletes.
May 13, 2026

How Sports Graphic Designers Are Grappling With the Rise of AI Art

The release of ChatGPT 2.0 Images sparked a conversation among sports designers.
May 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ronda Rousey (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Gina Carano (red gloves) after a women's featherweight bout at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How Jake Paul’s MVP Plans to Build on Netflix MMA Debut

Saturday’s debut averaged 12.4 million viewers on Netflix.
May 20, 2026

NHL Playoffs Deliver Record Second-Round Ratings for ESPN, TNT

The Canadiens-Sabres series brought additional audience milestones.
May 21, 2026

CBS, TNT Sports Parents Face New Merger Scrutiny by Lawmakers

A group of six U.S. senators raises concerns about the proposed megadeal.
Sponsored

Mark Cuban Peels Back the Curtain

Mark Cuban discusses sports ownership, the rise of NIL, and the evolving media landscape.
The University of Alabama showed off renovations to Bryant Denny Stadium Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Sports Illustrated covers decorate the walls inside the new press box. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
May 20, 2026

Sports Illustrated Defends Its Standards After Plagiarism Incident

SI removed its prediction-markets affiliate following accusations of plagiarism.
Racin' With The Boys
exclusive
May 20, 2026

‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ Launching New NASCAR Show

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions will produce the show.
May 19, 2026

NFL Pushes Back on Criticism Over TV and Streaming Deals

The league remains steadfast in its overall media approach.
May 19, 2026

Is Sports Coverage the Solution to ‘Google Zero’?

The glossy mag is betting sports coverage can arrest a traffic decline.