Football season is almost here, and for many of us, that means one thing: figuring out how to watch every single game. If you've ditched traditional cable but still want to follow your team (or all the teams!) religiously, you've probably landed on YouTube TV and the NFL Sunday Ticket. It's a pretty popular combo these days, especially since Google took over the rights.
So, let's break down what you're looking at cost-wise. The core of this setup is YouTube TV itself. As of the latest information, you're looking at about $72.99 per month for the base YouTube TV subscription. This gives you a whole host of channels, including local networks that broadcast many of the games, plus sports staples like ESPN and the NFL Network.
Now, for the real game-changer: the NFL Sunday Ticket. This is what lets you watch those out-of-market Sunday afternoon games – the ones not being shown on your local channels. For the 2024 season, the NFL Sunday Ticket package is available as an add-on through YouTube TV. The price for the full season is typically around $349. There's also a student plan, which is a bit cheaper at $224.99 per year, but you'll need to verify your student status.
It's worth noting that this is a seasonal purchase. So, while you pay for YouTube TV monthly, the Sunday Ticket is usually a one-time payment for the entire season. This means if you're doing the math for the whole football season, you'd be looking at the monthly YouTube TV cost plus that one-time Sunday Ticket fee.
What do you get with Sunday Ticket, besides all those out-of-market games? It also bundles in NFL RedZone, which is fantastic for hopping between games when there's a lot of action, plus the NFL Network and NFL Fantasy Live. It's designed to be pretty comprehensive for the serious fan.
If you're thinking about this, remember that YouTube TV allows you to stream on multiple devices simultaneously – up to six, in fact. So, you can have the game on the big screen in the living room and still catch replays or other channels on a tablet or phone.
For those who might only be interested in local games and primetime matchups, NFL+ offers a more budget-friendly option. NFL+ is $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year for mobile-only streaming of local and primetime games, plus replays. The premium tier, at $14.99 a month or $79.99 a year, adds connected device streaming and ad-free content. But if you're a fan who needs to follow a team that isn't playing in your immediate area, Sunday Ticket is really the way to go.
It's a significant shift from the old days of expensive cable packages, making it much more accessible for people who prefer streaming. The convenience of having it all within the YouTube ecosystem is a big draw for many cord-cutters looking to stay connected to the NFL.
