NFL Sunday Ticket: 5 Things You Might Not Know About It

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me onX.

The NFL Sunday Ticket has been in business for more than 30 years. But with Google’s YouTube now running it, there are several new features that many fans may not be aware of. Here are five that might help you better enjoy the popular package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games.

1. You can share your Sunday Ticket password with a friend or family member.

The NFL Sunday Ticket is costly and even more expensive this year ($379 via the YouTube TV bundle and $479 with YouTube Primetime Channels). So it would be helpful if you could split the cost of a subscription with a friend or loved one and then share your password. But can it be done? Answer: Yes!

Google in May 2023 waived its two-stream max for the Ticket, saying subscribers will have unlimited streams to watch the games at home and two additional streams when watching away from home. That opened the door to password sharing (and subscription splitting), allowing two friends and/or family members outside the home (even outside your market) to use your Ticket’s account to watch the games.

There has been some confusion over this practice because YouTube TV has a rule that anyone using your account must use it in your home on occasion. But I have asked YouTube TV’s support team if you can share a Ticket account with a person outside the household. And, whether that person would need to use his or her device in your home at some point. The support team said that is the rule for YouTube TV, but an exception is made for Sunday Ticket subscribers.

So if you get the Ticket from either YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels, you can share the password with up to two people outside the house thanks to the new two-stream rule for using the Ticket away from home. Just be sure those people use your e-mail address when signing in. Otherwise, they will not be able to log in.

I confirmed earlier this season with Google that Device Location, not Mailing Address, determines which games you get with the Sunday Ticket.

2. Military personnel and veterans can get the NFL Sunday Ticket for just $109.

YouTube is now allowing military personnel and veterans to pay just $109 for the 2024 Sunday Ticket — and there is no requirement to purchase YouTube TV. The $199 is the straight price for the YouTube Primetime Channels edition which is $479 to everyone else.

The offer is available to eligible U.S. active military and veteran customers in the United States who have not yet subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2024 season. To get the discount, you must verify your military status at ID.me. Here’s the link.

3. The NFL Sunday Ticket games are in 1080p HD, a marked improvement over broadcasts on local affiliates.

The NFL Sunday Ticket includes Sunday afternoon regular season games from CBS and Fox. Now, both Fox and CBS broadcast their games in HD, not 4K. So YouTube cannot show them in 4K unless it tried to upscale them which could cause more problems than it’s worth.

But Google says the game feeds come from broadcast centers in 1080p (both native and upscaled). While that isn’t 4K, it’s a marked improvement over what you would see on your local CBS and Fox stations. Fox affiliates broadcast live sports in 720p HD while CBS stations do 1080i HD. The 1080p HD picture is superior to both. If you have ever watched Apple’s MLB broadcasts in 1080p HD, you know how much better 1080p HD is. Some fans have mistaken the Apple feeds for 4K; that’s how good it is.

As a former Sunday Ticket subscriber, I can testify that the 1080p HD game feeds look sensational.

YouTube also says it’s working with its NFL and TV partners to bring more 1080p — and 4K games — in the future. “We continue to invest in improved feeds and bitrate improvements. Many users with eligible 4K compatible devices that support VP9 codecs are now seeing higher quality 1080p content with more device coverage and improvements on the way this fall,” the streamer says. “Separately, NFL Sunday Ticket games will have distinct source feeds broadcast in 1080p (a mix of native and upscaled) compared to 720p local broadcasts. We’re working with our partners to bring more 1080p HDR and 4K games to you in the future.”

4. There is no longer a free trial for the NFL Sunday Ticket

Before week one of the regular season, YouTube began offering a one-week free trial to the 2024 NFL Sunday Ticket. However, the free trial, which was available to new users only, was removed this week. This is similar how Google handled the Ticket’s free trial in 2023. It was available for the first handful of weeks, but then discontinued.

5. But you might be able to get a discount at checkout.

If Google follows its 2023 game plan this season, it will likely drop the Sunday Ticket’s price in the next week or so. However, if you’re looking for a discount now, some subscribers report there is a discount for the standalone Ticket (no YouTube TV sub required) at checkout with he price is reduced by as much as $150. (The Ticket on YouTube TV is now priced at $379; YouTube TV is $72.99 a month. YouTube Primetime Channels’ Ticket is $479 without any discount.)

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.

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.