YouTube and YouTube TV are the new home of the NFL Sunday Ticket, but right now, if you live in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, you are unable to access the service. Now, it is being reported that the NFL and YouTube TV are fighting over delays in bringing the service to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. Now the Sports Business Journal reports that DIRECTV has reached a deal to offer NFL Sunday Ticket in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Now DIRECTV has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that they have received the right to offer NFL Sunday Ticket in these markets.
“Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are very unique in having avid fans for all the different teams across the NFL,” said Belkys Mata, VP Sales Operations DIRECTV Puerto Rico. “Retaining exclusivity to NFL Sunday Ticket in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands reaffirms our commitment to strengthening the live sports we offer to families and businesses, and putting customers first is always the motivation to how we go about our daily business.”
According to the original report from the Sports Business Journal, YouTube had informed the NFL that it will be unable to offer NFL Sunday Ticket in these markets until November 2023. To help address this issue, the NFL reportedly reached a deal with DIRECTV to offer NFL Sunday Ticket in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands until YouTube could offer the service.
DIRECTV already has the right to offer the commercial version of NFL Sunday Ticket to bars and other locations in these areas. Now at least until YouTube TV is able to offer it DIRECTV will also offer it to residential customers in these areas.
The report did not say why YouTube and YouTube TV couldn’t offer NFL Sunday Ticket in these markets until November. At this time YouTube TV is not available in these areas, but YouTube is. According to the Sports Business Journal, YouTube TV at the earlier will offer NFL Sunday Ticket in these markets in November 2023, but it could be even later.
The NFL, as you would expect, wants the NFL Sunday Ticket in as many markets as possible.
The NFL Sunday Ticket is launching on YouTube TV and now DIRECTV on Sunday, September 10th, 2023.