Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio recently participated in a congressional hearing examining the NFL’s streaming practices and the increasing costs for fans. Jordan raised concerns about the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act and antitrust issues. He emphasized the need for affordable access to NFL content for all fans, not only those who can afford expensive packages.
If you’ve received an email about renewing or adding NFL Sunday Ticket, you might be surprised at the cost. The exclusive package for out-of-market NFL games, provided by YouTube, is expensive. The value of the package decreases yearly due to the expansion of the NFL’s national windows.
Subscribers aren’t given access to nationally televised games nor games available in their local market. Sunday Ticket excludes Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games. It doesn’t include the three or four local games aired by Fox and CBS during the afternoon windows.
For instance, a viewer in Michigan cannot access Lions games using Sunday Ticket since those games are aired locally via Fox or CBS.
The complexity of the NFL’s television schedule is increasing. Streaming service EverPass Media will hold exclusive commercial rights for NFL Sunday Ticket starting in the 2026 season.
Restaurant associations are urging Congress to act as the NFL Sunday Ticket streaming transition endangers bar revenues. For this season, Netflix will broadcast five games, including 49ers-Rams from Australia in week 1. Other games include two on Christmas Day and one unannounced Saturday game.
Thanksgiving Eve brings an NFL game on a Wednesday, aligning with Netflix’s Thursday night broadcast in week 1. Subsequently, NBC shifts its Patriots-Seahawks season opener to Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The NFL will feature four Friday games this season.
The NFL’s choice to air games on Wednesdays and Fridays is notable, as there were previously legal restrictions against games on these days. Additionally, nine out of eighteen weeks this season will feature an international game, typically aired on the NFL Network at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Each new national window sold by the NFL removes a game from the Sunday early or late-afternoon slate. Consequently, Sunday Ticket offers fewer games at a higher price. YouTube has listed the standard price for the 2026-27 Sunday Ticket at $480. Subscribers can pay $60 monthly over eight months, yet full payment is eventually required. Partial month subscriptions aren’t available.
The price seems misleading. It exists to enable the NFL to market apparent discounts. For example, new users can sign up for $240 a year while most returning subscribers may renew for $336. YouTube TV subscribers can acquire the package for $234, provided they maintain their subscription throughout the NFL season.
Special rates are available for teachers, military members, veterans, first responders, and medical workers who pay $198 yearly and students who pay $119 but with a one-device streaming limit. Despite varied pricing, Sunday Ticket over its four-month duration remains costly compared to other streaming subscriptions.
With scheduling changes reducing the number of games available, the price no longer aligns with the content offered. Top matchups will likely air elsewhere, and fans requiring all games need subscriptions to YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix.
‘NFL RedZone’ host Scott Hanson acknowledges fan frustrations over pricey streaming subscriptions. For fans residing outside their favorite team’s market, Sunday Ticket might retain appeal. However, it depends on the specific team.
The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders have no traditional primetime games scheduled for this season, subject to late-season changes. For fans of these teams, Sunday Ticket is the sole means to watch them weekly from another state.
Conversely, teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers each have at least six primetime games and will be featured heavily during local windows on Fox and CBS. A Chiefs fan in North Carolina likely doesn’t need Sunday Ticket, whereas a Titans fan in Arizona will.
The NFL’s expansion of national windows raises prices but diminishes the value of Sunday Ticket, reducing demand unless the price drops.
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