By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I am still confused on the Multiview Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. Can you pick the games on the screen? Also, is the RedZone channel one of the two streams you can use or is it a third stream? Can you clarify? — Red, Nashville.
Red, I don’t think I’ve ever received more questions about a subject than I’ve received regarding YouTube’s NFL Sunday Ticket. Since Google last week released pricing details, rules and restrictions for the Ticket starting with the 2023 season, my e-mail box and DMs have been overflowing.
Let me try to provide some additional clarification on two subjects that seem most confusing: YouTube TV’s Multiview feature and the rule that says you can only stream the Ticket on two screens at the same time.
Also Read: Sunday Ticket: You Have More Questions, We Have More Answers!
Will you be able to customize YouTube’s Multiview for Sunday Ticket games?
First, let’s note that Multiview, which displays up to four games on one screen at the same time, will be available on both YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels.
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(You can order the Ticket as an add-on to your YouTube TV plan, or as a separate service via Primetime Channels. The YouTube TV Ticket is cheaper because you have to pay for the YouTube TV sub. See this article for pricing details.)
As of now, you cannot customize the Multiview feature on YouTube TV. (It’s not available yet on YouTube.) That means that YouTube TV picks the four games, or views, that will be on the screen. YouTube TV has said customization is in the works, but it’s not there yet. If you can customize Multiview, you would be able to choose the four Ticket games that appear on your screen.
Is the RedZone Channel separate from the two-screen limit?
Google has said you can only stream the Ticket on two screens at the same time. The two screens are in addition to the three streams you get with your $72.99 a month YouTube TV plan. If you get the NFL RedZone Channel with the Ticket (the bundle is more expensive), the RedZone would count as one of your two Ticket streams. That means you could watch one game and one RedZone at the same time. The same applies with the Multiview. You could stream one game and one Multiview screen at the same time.
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If you record a game, the recording does not count towards your two-screen limit unless you’re watching the stream. When you start watching the stream, it will count towards your stream limit. For example, if you were streaming two games, and wanted to watch a third game that was recorded, you couldn’t. You would have to stop streaming one of the first two games to do that.
You have unlimited DVR recording of the games, but you can only stream two recordings at the same time.
Can you fast-forward, pause and rewind a live game?
Yes, The usual DVR features will be available with live games.
Red, 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
Multiview has existed for NFL Sunday Ticket for 18 years on DIRECTV satellite. On the OTT version of Sunday Ticket, the customized option was there since 2018 for NFLST.TV by DIRECTV on platforms like the iPad, PS5, etc. The media keeps saying this is a new thing by YouTube, it flat out isn’t new.
I have made that point here and on my Twitter page. Repeatedly.
So there’s a 2-screen limit. Can those 2 screens be in 2 different households without the family plan?
I have heard some confusing wording straight from YouTube’s help column. They use the words two streams and two screens at the same time. I’m pretty sure those two terms are not interchangeable. Is it my understanding, two streams means one game on one or more TVs and another game on one or more TVs. Where two screens means one game, one screen and another game, another screen and that’s it? Given this information, which direction is YouTube TV going with this?