By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, do you know if YouTube will have condensed game replays of the Sunday games like DIRECTV did with the Short Cuts feature on satellite? It’s a great way to watch the action by speeding it up the next day. — Jack, Pasadena, California.
Jack, DIRECTV, which had the exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket for 28 years, included a feature with the package called, Short Cuts. Ticket subscribers could watch a 30-minute version of a game the day after it was played. This was a convenient way to catch up with all the Sunday afternoon action.
But now that the Sunday Ticket is an exclusive to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels, will the streamers offer condensed games?
Update: YouTube WILL offer condensed Sunday Ticket games!
There have been several stories in the last week that say the answer is yes. They are based on a comment on Reddit from an anonymous poster who claims to be a YouTube engineer. When a Reddit user asked in a Sunday Ticket forum whether there would be condensed games, the ‘engineer’ said, “Yes.” He or she did not elaborate.
Despite the published articles, however, there is nothing at the YouTube TV web site that says there will be condensed games. Plus, I asked Google’s Sunday Ticket support team today whether there would be condensed games. The response:
“NFL Sunday Ticket does not include condensed games as part of its package.”
The support person added: “One option to consider is NFL Game Pass. NFL Game Pass provides access to a wide range of NFL content, including full game replays, highlights, and condensed games. Condensed games on NFL Game Pass typically condense the entire game into a shorter version that includes all the key plays and moments.”
NFL Game Pass is actually the old name for the league’s NFL+ Premium streaming service which includes live broadcasts of local games and other features such as condensed game replays. NFL+, which is available on phones and tablets, is $9.99 a month.
The two YouTube services may eventually announce that it will have a condensed game feature, but there’s no evidence now that they will except a Reddit post from an anonymous individual. (Not enough for this reporter to go with.)
Jack, 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
