By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I’ve been reading the stories about the NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and I’m intrigued. Sounds like it’s a nice offering, huh? I had the Ticket on DIRECTV for awhile and I remember they used to have it free for the first week. So does YouTube still have a free trial or was it just for the first week? — Hal, Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Hal, you’re right. Google’s YouTube is winning praise for its first week of hosting the NFL Sunday Ticket two days ago. The out-of-market games were displayed in 1080p HD and they looked sensational, if not quite as sensational as a 4K picture might. Even better, there were few reports of technical glitches and some users said the dreaded live sports streaming delay was minimal, perhaps less than 15 seconds behind the action via a TV antenna or cable or satellite provider.
And Hal, you’re also right that DIRECTV, which had the Sunday Ticket for 28 seasons until this year, offered the first week for free to satellite subscribers. However, it did provide a free seven-day trial for the streaming edition throughout the season. But what about YouTube? The streamer offered a seven-day free trial last week for the first Sunday, but is the freebie still available? Answer: Yes. YouTube has n0t placed an expiration date on the free trial so it appears it will be available for the entire season, just as it was for DIRECTV’s streaming Ticket. The free trial is a great way to give the Ticket a spin before deciding to shell out hundreds of dollars for the season package.
The company has posted a page in its Sunday Ticket Help section that gives the basics on how to sign up for a free trial. But let’s go over some of the most important rules. For starters, free trials are only available when you sign up from your computer or mobile browser, not within the app. You also can not get a free trial with the purchase of an NFL Sunday Ticket student plan or if you order with a monthly payment plan.
Google says you can get the free trial when you order the base NFL Sunday Ticket (prices now start at $299) or the Ticket with the NFL RedZone bundle (prices start at $339) on YouTube Primetime Channels or YouTube TV. Current and former NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers on YouTube or YouTube TV are not eligible for this offer. The free trials are not available through your mobile carrier or Internet provider, such as Frontier, Verizon or Wow!.
To start your free Sunday Ticket trial if you are an existing YouTube TV subscriber, you need to do the following:
1 From your computer or mobile browser, go to tv.youtube.com sign in with your Google Account.
2. Click your profile picture and then click Settings.
3. Find “NFL Sunday Ticket” and choose whether to bundle it with NFL RedZone, then choose to pay in one payment. NFL Sunday Ticket free trials are not offered with monthly payment plans. If you’re eligible for an NFL Sunday Ticket 7-day free trial, you’ll see it offered here.
4. Proceed to complete your transaction.
To start your free Sunday Ticket trial on YouTube Primetime Channels, you need to do this:
1. From your computer or mobile browser, go to youtube.com.
2. Go to the NFL channel page and then select Get NFL Sunday Ticket. You may be asked to sign in with your Google Account.
3. Choose whether to include NFL RedZone with NFL Sunday Ticket and then choose to pay in one payment. If you’re eligible for an NFL Sunday Ticket 7-day free trial, you’ll see it offered here.
4. Proceed to complete your purchase.
Hal, 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
