NFL launches streaming service to air live games, radio broadcasts, on-demand programming
The NFL announced its exclusive streaming service on Monday, two months after reports surfaced it would introduce one for the 2022 season. NFL+ is "building upon what the league developed with NFL Game Pass" and will be offered at basic and premium levels, the league said in its announcement
It will offer live local and primetime games on mobile and tablet devices as well as live game audio from every game. NFL library programming is also available on-demand, amongst other perks. The starting price is $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
"Today marks an important day in the history of the National Football League with the launch of NFL+," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the league release. "The passionate and dedicated football fans are the lifeblood of the NFL, and being able to reach and interact with them across multiple platforms is incredibly important to us. We look forward to continuing to grow NFL+ and deepening our relationship with fans across all ages and demographics, providing them access to a tremendous amount of NFL content, including the most valuable content in the media industry: live NFL games."
NFL+ allows fans to watch their local and primetime games live and the ability to watch live out-of-market preseason games live on all devices (laptops included). Fans who want to listen to the game on radio can choose home, away and national calls for every game of the season. The on-demand programming, which includes NFL Film archives and NFL Network shows, is ad-free.
Fans can also upgrade to premium ($9.99 per month, or $79.99 per year) to add ad-free full-game and condensed game replays across all devices and ad-free coaches film. The all-22 coaches film was previously on NFL Game Pass and allows fans to study game tape as if they were a coach.
Streaming begins with the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 4. NFL Game Pass will no longer be offered.
Rise of sports streaming
The NFL's app is the next in a line of leagues offering their own streaming service. MLB offers MLB.tv to fans who want to watch every game, though the local and national broadcasts are blacked out.
The NBA offers League Pass as well as NBA TV. The WNBA also has its own League Pass to watch games that aren't nationally televised or blacked out due to regional TV deals.
The NFL has largely relied on others to carry its game packages. Its wildly popular "Sunday Ticket" is up for bid as the deal with DirecTV runs out after the 2022 season. Apple is "likely" to land the deal at around $2.5 billion per year, per reports in April. Other bidders include Amazon and Disney. And on Sunday, Google reportedly made a bid for the deal and planned to stream it through YouTube, per the New York Times.
Launching its own app and working out any issues now would also open the door for the NFL to host its own package in some form.
