NFL launches new streaming service, NFL+

NFL launches new streaming service, NFL+

The NFL launched its own streaming service, called NFL+, on Monday, the league announced.

The newfound service will be launched at $4.99 per month and $39.99 per year, although there is an early-time offer for $29.99 per year. The subscription comes with a seven-day free trial.

Although the streaming service doesn’t necessarily operate like others already launched from the other three major sports (MLB, NBA, NHL), here is what NFL+ offers:

• Live out-of-market preseason games across multiple devices.
• Live primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet.
• Live game audio (home, away & national) for every game of the season.
• Live local Regular Season & Postseason games on your phone or tablet.
• Library of ad-free programming that’s on-demand.

There is also a premium option — listed at $9.99 per month and $79.99 per year (saving 34 percent) — that offers all of the aforementioned features along with ad-free condensed and full-game replays (ad-free) with coaches’ film — similarly to how “NFL Game Pass” has operated on league site for the last several years.

NFL+ is atypical to streaming services from MLB, NBA and the NHL, which allow streaming from all out-of-market regular season contests — primetime or otherwise.

“We think this is a major step forward,” Commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP in a phone interview. “It will evolve, build and get better as more and more content becomes available on this platform. The work that we’ve done either with other offerings or research has helped us sort of frame this in a way that we think would be very attractive and engage our fans.”

Quota via ESPN and the Associated Press

The timing of this is interesting but makes sense. The NFL “Sunday Ticket” package — which offers out-of-market games broadcasted on CBS and FOX on Sunday’s — with DirecTV expires at the end of the season, which Goodell is reportedly attempting to find a new home for come fall. Apple, Amazon, Disney (ESPN+) and, most recently, Google (which would hypothetically stream games via YouTube) have all submitted offers.

It’s noteworthy pointing out that Amazon will now be dipping its toe into NFL games this season. They plan to host the 15 Thursday Night Football games, beginning on Sept. 15 (Week 2) between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

While all preseason games and are accessible with audio, accessing local preseason and regular season games — as well as primetime — is typically a simple course-of-action if you know your TV Provider’s login information. Maybe the transition to Amazon — which not everyone owns — as well as Apple, Disney or Google changes that? I’m curious to know how all of this incentivized the league launching NFL+.

It’s also worth monitoring whether 1.) If (and maybe when) the new streaming service expands its accessibility to all out-of-market regular season games, and not just preseason in the future, and 2.) What happens to the acclaimed DirecTV Red Zone and Fantasy Zone — two features that are part of the Sunday Ticket package.

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