NFL Launches Subscription Service At $4.99 A Month

Topline

The National Football League unveiled a new subscription service titled NFL+ on Monday, allowing users to livestream some games on their devices as the league throws its hat into the ring in the streaming wars – while still respecting traditional media’s turf.

Key Facts

The service will start at $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually, giving subscribers access to live broadcasts of local and primetime regular season and playoff games on their phones and tablets, as well as live audio broadcasts to all games.

The league also introduced NFL+ Premium at $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually, which includes features of the basic package as well as full-game and condensed game replays across devices.

The streaming service is the first of its kind among major American sports leagues.

Key Background

Crucially, NFL+ doesn’t threaten to challenge the league’s cozy relationship with its traditional broadcast partners considering the service only offers mobile streaming. The NFL signed a 10-year deal worth about $10 billion annually with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC last year. The six most viewed telecasts in the U.S. last year were NFL games, according to Sports Business Journal. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called live NFL games the “most valuable content in the media industry” in the NFL+ announcement.

What To Watch For

Who wins the multibillion dollar bidding war for the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package that broadcasts all out-of-market games once the NFL’s contract with DirecTV expires. Amazon, Apple and Google have all expressed interest in the package, with Apple considered the favorite to land a deal worth more than $2.5 billion annually, the New York Times reported Sunday.

Crucial Quote

Goodell explained the league’s rationale for the streaming service in an interview with the Wall Street Journal: “What we’re really looking at now is future platforms. We have to be there with our content.”

Further Reading

Why Big Tech Is Making a Big Play for Live Sports (New York Times)