By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
TV Answer Man, I read your article about whether the Sunday Ticket will auto renew next year. My plan will auto renew which is okay with me because I plan to keep my subscription. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t allow auto renew to happen? Please let me know. Thanks for all your work. — Michael, Mobile, Alabama.
Michael, there is a big reason why you should cancel your NFL Sunday Ticket immediately. Before I explain, here’s some background on YouTube’s auto renewal policy for the Ticket:
If you purchased the Sunday Ticket as an add-on to your YouTube TV base package before July 10, your NFL Sunday Ticket membership won’t automatically renew next season. However, if you purchased it as a YouTube TV add-on plan on July 10, 2023 or after, your NFL Sunday Ticket membership will automatically renew every season at the then-current retail price.
When you sign up for the standalone NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube Primetime Channels, your subscription will automatically renew every season at the then-current retail price regardless of when you subscribed.
NFL Sunday Ticket: Why You Should Cancel Now
This is why you should cancel now before you forget. As you see in the description above, YouTube will renew your 2023 Sunday Ticket subscription in August 2024 at the “current retail price.” That means you will automatically pay the full price rather than being able to pay the discounted price that YouTube is likely to offer before and after the season, as it did this year.
For example, YouTube TV this year offered the Sunday Ticket prior to June 6 for $249 for the base plan and $289 for the bundle, which includes the NFL RedZone channel. That was a $100 discount on each plan. So if you allow your current subscription to auto renew, and this year’s full prices stay the same, you will wind up paying $349 and $389 respectively for the base or bundle packages. Basically, the auto renewal could cost you the opportunity to save $100 on the plan.
The same math applies for the Sunday Ticket auto renewal on YouTube Primetime Channels. The retail price is $100 more than what YouTube was charging prior to June 6. (After June 6, they reduced the discount by $50 on all plans.)
There is no penalty for canceling now. You will still be able to watch the Ticket for the remainder of the season. However, by canceling now, your subscription will not auto renew and you will have the flexibility to purchase the 2024 Sunday Ticket at a discount.
For information on how to cancel, see our article.
Michael, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Update: YouTube TV on February 7 offered a $50 discount on the 2024 Sunday Ticket but said it’s only good for new subscribers. The streamer’s customer service said more discounts could be coming for returning subscribers. See this article for details.
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.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
