In a significant move, Google TV is set to prominently feature the NFL Sunday Ticket, a coveted service for which Google emerged as the winning bidder last year. The integration will also encompass Google’s other platforms, YouTube and YouTube TV.
Google TV product managers Nick Staubach and Sal Altayyar elaborated on this in a recent blog post. “With the onset of this football season, NFL Sunday Ticket will seamlessly blend into Google TV within the U.S. This integration will enable users to tune into live non-local Sunday afternoon games, access prime highlights, and receive curated recommendations for the week’s standout games—all from the convenience of their Google TV home screen.” Furthermore, they mentioned that those who opt for the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription on YouTube TV will soon find the service featured in the app’s live segment.
Securing the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket was a notable victory for Google, especially as they reportedly outclassed tech giants Apple and Amazon. Before this change, DirecTV held these rights for an impressive span of nearly 30 years. For those keen on subscribing, the yearly package currently kicks off at $399 on YouTube. However, if paired with a separate YouTube TV membership priced at $73 monthly, it’s available for $299. Those keen on the NFL RedZone channel—which offers comprehensive coverage of all Sunday afternoon games—can add it for an additional $40 on each package.
In another update from Google today, the tech behemoth revealed the addition of over 25 free channels to the Google TV roster. While the company intriguingly chose not to disclose specifics about these channels, they did drop hints, naming shows such as Top Gear and Baywatch. These newly introduced channels will complement Google TV’s existing repertoire of more than 800 FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channels.
