NFL Sunday Ticket: Why Is YouTube Only Allowing 2 Streams at the Same Time?
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I was able to watch the Sunday Ticket in every room in my house when I had DIRECTV. But YouTube is restricting the Ticket to just two streams at the same time. Why? This seems unfair. People like to be able watch their video wherever they are. It’s 2023! Come on! YouTube TV normally has three streams at the same time so why only two for the Ticket?!! We have several people in the family who like to watch different games. Please explain. — Pete, Wilmington, Delaware.
Pete, YouTube and YouTube TV last week unveiled the pricing for the 2023 NFL Sunday Ticket. And while the higher-than-expected prices generated considerable attention in the first few days, it’s the Ticket’s new rules and restrictions that’s now the talk of social media sites.
For example, let’s examine the two-screen maximum rule.
YouTube TV has launched a multi-view feature that will allow you to watch up to four games on one screen at the same time. That’s helpful for fantasy football fans looking to follow multiple games and players.
Click Amazon: See Today’s 1-Day-Only Deals!
In addition, you will be able to watch games on up to two screens at the same time. For example, you could have the Ticket on the Roku in the bedroom and the Fire TV in the living room. But if you wanted to watch a third game in a third room, let’s say the Man Cave in the basement, you couldn’t.
YouTube TV normally offers simultaneous streaming on three devices, but it’s limiting the Ticket to two. (Sunday Ticket streams do not count towards the base plan streams. For example, if you are watching the Ticket on two devices, you still have three left for other channels in the YouTube TV lineup.)
Why just two streams at the same time?
Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?
YouTube doesn’t care if you are watching the Ticket in every room in the house. They do care if you, and several of your friends, are watching it on multiple devices in multiple households. By limiting the streams to two, YouTube is preventing you from sharing your Ticket username and password with multiple friends so they can watch without subscribing. The company agreed to pay $2.2 billion a year for the Ticket’s rights and it needs every sub it can get.
Of course, with two streams, you could watch the games and still share your account with one friend outside the home. But YouTube and Google are limiting the possible damage with the two stream rule.
Click Amazon: See Today’s 1-Day-Only Deals!
Pete, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
Discover more from The TV Answer Man!
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Why can’t they limit the stream to one IP address and that in most cases would solve the issue of sharing outside of the home? What are they going to do for bars and resteraunts?
People want the flexibility to watch outside the home.
What if you have the 4K add-on that allows unlimited streams in your house?
2 streams for the Ticket. No exceptions.
If you’re a YTTV subscriber with a family plan, will family members be able to watch on a stream or will it be tied to the family owner’s profile?
Is the two streams only for YouTube TV or is there a different number for You Tube primetime bolt on option?
2 streams.
Will YouTube Sunday ticket have the game mix channels that Directv had?
YouTube TV will have a multi view of four games on one screen.
So with the multi-view option, can you then possibly watch 8 games (4 x 2 streams) at once assuming you have two TVs (each with their own fire stick) in the same room? Also, with the multi-view are you allowed to pick which games are in that group of four, or is it just a channel with four pre-selected games. This will make a big difference in whether or not I subscribe. Thanks in advance for your reply!
https://tvanswerman.com/2023/04/19/nfl-sunday-ticket-more-answers-on-multiview-2-screen-limit-recording-games/
Have fun selling that to NFL fans! I have four HD TV’s in my man cave just for watching sports! It’s a NO for me!
I have 5 TVs in my mancave Directv allowed me to have 5 boxes and watch 5 different games at the same time. I was willing to pay for that. Sounds like YouTube Tv has screwed this all up guess I wont be purchasing the Sunday ticket for the first time since 1996. Im not paying to watch only 2 games at once. What a waste
I agree I have 9. I had a feeling they were going to screw this up
The 2 stream limit could also be so the bars/restaurants are forces to buy the commercial license and not simply throw up the Youtube streams up on 15 different TVs.
This is why it was horrible that YouTube got the rights to the NFL. I have been an NFL ticket subscriber for as long as it has been on diretcv. I have a room with 4 tv’s and love to watch multiple games at once. I can longer do this. I also liked to be able to change the channel quickly but now it will take a lot longer to switch to a different game.
How will sports bars be able to stream multiple games at once? I guess they’ll have to open multiple accounts and pay an exorbitant amount to do that. I think YouTube just ruined the experience of NFL Sunday and I don’t think I’ll be paying to watch the out of market games.
If I purchase NFL ticket and RedZone without the YouTube TV plan. I get two streams. So can I share my plan with my son who is away at college?
Yes, leaving you w one stream left for yourself.
TV Answer man the sunday ticket website says that at home you get unlimited streams but outside the home its two additional streams. Where do you see that you can only have two in the home?
https://tvanswerman.com/2023/05/25/nfl-sunday-ticket-youtube-removes-the-2-stream-maximum/
tv is getting worse not better