Google Competes with Amazon, Apple for NFL Sunday Ticket

Amazon and Apple are beginning to make a name for themselves in live sports, and another tech giant doesn’t want to be left behind.

Google has reportedly offered a bid from YouTube for rights to NFL Sunday Ticket beginning in 2023, a package that is set to fetch more than the $1.65 billion Google paid for the platform in 2006. 

The New York Times reports that the league is looking for $2.5 billion annually, a generous hike from the $1.5 billion DirecTV pays each year under the league’s current deal.

• DirecTV, which charges $294 annually, will not bid on Sunday Ticket, but would reportedly be interested in a deal with the winning buyer to retain customers.
• Fewer than 2 million subscribers sign up for DirecTV’s package each year. The company has been losing as much as $500 million annually from the package alone.

Google has some tough competition. Apple, which recently secured exclusive rights to MLS for more than $2.5 billion, and Amazon, which already has rights worth $1 billion per season to “Thursday Night Football,” are also reportedly bidding for the Sunday Ticket.

NFL’s Negotiations

Apple is reportedly the current front-runner — at least for now. Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s chief media and business officer, says the league still has “a ways to go in the process,” with the deal expected to be finalized in the coming months.

On Monday, the league launched its own streaming service — NFL+ — for $4.99 per month.