NFL Could Launch Streaming Service

Last year, the NFL negotiated media rights deals worth over $110 billion. Now the league is exploring its own streaming service.

NFL Chief Media and Business Officer Brian Rolapp said the service —  tentatively called  “NFL+,” — is “under consideration,” but he added that the league continues to talk to companies to license those rights. 

The service would allow users to stream games from mobile devices without a cable subscription, for a potential monthly price of $5. 

• The service would include games, radio, podcasts, and team content.
• The league previously distributed in-market games for free on mobile devices in a deal initially exclusive to Verizon and later broadened to include all mobile carriers.
• The NFL also distributed games to tablets and laptops through Yahoo.

Rolapp said a decision to launch its own service for in-market games or license that content would occur well before the start of the 2022 season. 

Bite from the Apple

The league is also looking to sell distribution rights to the out-of-market package “NFL Sunday Ticket” and a stake in NFL Media, which includes the NFL Network and NFL.com. 

Both Amazon and Apple are interested in the media properties, and a deal for one of those could involve ties to NFL+. 

Amazon won rights to “Thursday Night Football” in a $1 billion-per-year deal beginning this year and running to 2033.

Apple made its first leap into live sports in March with a seven-year for a package of MLB games worth $85 million annually.