AT&T to Let Almost Anyone Stream NFL Sunday Ticket For 2020 Season
If you were hoping for a cheaper version of NFL Sunday Ticket Online this season, you’re out of luck. But unlike previous seasons, they seem to be loosening restrictions.
Previously, you needed to be in an apartment or dorm without access to the satellite version of NFL Sunday Ticket to be eligible to subscribe to SundayTicket.TV.
According to a report by TVAnswerMan, AT&T will be removing those restrictions in 29 markets – including markets with 26 of the 32 NFL teams like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The six markets with NFL teams not eligible seem to be Buffalo, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Kansas City, New Orleans, and Nashville.
You can enter your address on the website to ensure that you’re eligible to stream.
Two seasons ago, AT&T made an exception for AT&T TV NOW streamers where, then DIRECTV NOW subscribers, were eligible to subscribe to the package in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Hartford, or Louisville.
Despite the changes in who can get it, it isn’t any cheaper. Unless you’re a student, who can still get the service for just $100 a year, the cheapest option is almost $300 ($73.49 month) — and nearly $400 ($99 a month) if you also want the Red Zone and Fantasy Zone channels.
Last season, there was a lot of speculation as to whether the NFL would opt-out of their current deal with AT&T. Ultimately, the league was unwilling to forgo the $1.5 billion annually that they get paid by DirecTV for the exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, the league’s out-of-market package until 2022.
While it hasn’t become easier to stream out-of-market games, the league has been aggressive in making local and nationally televised games more accessible to fans. Besides streaming Thursday Night Football on Amazon, the NFL has been streaming all in-market games on mobile and tablet (via NFL and Yahoo! properties) for free without the need of a cable subscription.
They have also created a mobile streaming plan for NFL RedZone in the NFL App for $35 for the season (or $10 for Verizon customers).
Last season, there was hope that a streaming service, like ESPN+, DAZN, Amazon, or YouTube, would take on the streaming rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. At the time, Disney CEO Bob Iger said “there has been exploration whether there is an opportunity there. We are very bullish on the NFL.” But, with the deal with AT&T now looking like it will stay in place until 2022, fans living away from team appear to be stuck without a reasonable way to watch until then.