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.
According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, YouTube has 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. Now, though, YouTube TV is blocking that plan and putting it at odds with the NFL.
DIRECTV already has the right to offer the commercial version of NFL Sunday Ticket to bars and other locations 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 season starts tomorrow, September 7th, 2023, with NFL Sunday Ticket launching on YouTube TV on Sunday, September 10th, 2023.