NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Says Sunday Ticket Move To YouTube Is “Only The Beginning” As League And Tech Giant Deepen Ties

Dade Hayes
·2 min read
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a rare appearance at a non-league media event Wednesday night, taking the stage at YouTube’s Brandcast to tout the strengthening ties between the NFL and the tech giant.

After nearly 30 years on DirecTV, NFL Sunday Ticket is moving to YouTube as a stand-alone package and an add-on to YouTube TV subscriptions. The seven-year rights deal cost YouTube and parent Google $2 billion.

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“The fact is, millions of football fans are on YouTube to catch all things NFL,” he said, with viewing of NFL content in 2022 gaining 27% in watch time compared with 2021, with 1.9 billion views. “This partnership will build on the success we’ve seen on YouTube’s platforms with our most sought-after content.”

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Sunday Ticket is “only the beginning,” Goodell said, noting that YouTube creators are getting “first-of-its-kind” access to NFL games, clubs, athletes and fans. That inside perspective will help the league “reach fans in more ways than ever.”

Among the announcements during Brandcast was the launch of a new original series, NFL Creator of the Week, on YouTube Shorts after the start of the NFL season in September. The show will be hosted on the NFL’s YouTube channel.

Goodell tossed to a video with brief remarks by MrBeast, who has the largest following of any YouTuber and will be among those generating NFL content.

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Mary Ellen Coe, Chief Business Officer of YouTube, followed Goodell onstage to elaborate on the company’s strategy to amplify the popularity of the NFL. She said YouTube’s unique creator DNA offers “unparalleled content that’s unlike anything you’ll experience anywhere else.” And for any ad buyers in the audience who weren’t convinced, she announced that free Sunday Ticket subscriptions would be given to all advertisers in the house.

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