By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
YouTube TV, which last year took the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket away from DIRECTV, is now trying to take away DIRECTV’s subscribers. The company is urging DIRECTV subscribers to sign up for its live streaming service to get the football package for less money.
In a new page posted at the YouTube TV web site, the streamer says: ‘With NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV, you get every game, every Sunday. Sign up today to see why switching from DIRECTV has never been easier.”
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Although YouTube TV had the Ticket in 2023, the service never published such a direct appeal to DIRECTV subscribers to switch TV providers. “Switch from DIRECTV and save on NFL Sunday Ticket,” the page now states.
DIRECTV, which had the Sunday Ticket as an exclusive from 1994 to 2023, last year frequently told its customers they could get the Sunday Ticket via YouTube Primetime Channels rather than sign up for YouTube TV. That way, DIRECTV noted, they could keep their DIRECTV subscriptions and still get the Ticket although the YouTube Primetime Channels’ Ticket price was $100 more than the price at YouTube TV.
But YouTube TV now wants to persuade those DIRECTV Ticket subscribers to abandon the satellite service and get its live streaming plan. YouTube TV’s monthly price starts at $72.99 but you can get the Ticket for $100 less than the Primetime Channels’ edition if you are a YouTube TV customer. (The Ticket via Primetime Channels does not require a bundle subscription to YouTube TV or any other service; it’s a standalone plan.)
“Paid for NFL Sunday Ticket with DIRECTV last year? See how much you’ll save with YouTube TV,” YouTube TV’s site says.
YouTube TV earlier this year said the Sunday Ticket helped it pass the eight million subscriber mark following the 2023 season. It appears that it’s looking to tap DIRECTV’s customer base to boost those numbers in 2024.
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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.
