YouTube TV Scores NFL Carriage, Launches New ‘Sports Plus’ Add-On

With a week to go until the launch of the 2020 football season, YouTube TV has scored a carriage agreement with the NFL.

NFL Network has been added to the service’s $64.99-per-month base package, giving viewers access to exclusive live games, live studio shows like Good Morning Football, GameDay Morning, NFL Now, and NFL Total Access, as well as original series like A Football Life, NFL 360, and America’s Game.

Additionally, the league’s pay-TV channel and streaming platform, NFL RedZone, has been bundled into YouTube TV’s new Sports Plus add-on package, debuting today. RedZone normally costs $35 per year; Sports Plus costs $10.99 per month and includes RedZone, Fox College Sports, GolTV, Fox Soccuer Plus, MAVTV Motorsports Network, TVG, and Stadium, per Engadget.

For now, YouTube TV subscribers can only watch NFL Network and RedZone content on their televisions, but in the future, they’ll be able to use their YouTube login to view content on NFL.com

and the NFL app for smartphones, tablets, PCs, and connected-TV devices.

“Sports fans have been some of our most passionate members since we launched YouTube TV, so we’re thrilled to introduce NFL Network to our lineup of more than 85 channels,” Lori Conkling, YouTube TV’s global head of partnerships, said in a statement.

YouTube has worked with the NFL before, and in general has leaned heavily into sports as it tries to build out its YouTube TV and YouTube-content-on-TV-screens viewership. YouTube TV has been the World Series’ presenting sponsor since 2017, and last year, the platform signed a deal to exclusively air 13 games from the MLB’s regular season. YouTube has also made a major push into esports; it recently paid a reported $160 million for exclusive airing rights to Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, and Hearthstone Esports.