Every Sunday afternoon is packed with NFL action, but if your favourite team plays outside your local market, you often miss the game. That’s precisely the gap YouTube TV Sunday Ticket fills. It provides fans across the U.S. with access to out-of-market Sunday games, enhanced with modern streaming features and flexibility.
Whether you’re a die-hard supporter chasing every snap or a fantasy player tracking multiple matchups, this guide will help you understand everything about YouTube TV Sunday Ticket — from pricing and features to tips for getting the best value.
Read on to find out if this season pass is worth your money and how to make the most of it.
What Is NFL Sunday Ticket (Now on YouTube TV)
NFL Sunday Ticket is a premium sports package that lets you watch out-of-market NFL games on Sunday afternoons—games you typically can’t see in your local area. It moved from DirecTV to YouTube in 2023 as the exclusive residential streaming option, marking a major shift in how fans access NFL content.
YouTube handles residential access (via YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels), while a company called EverPass Media handles commercial distribution (e.g. bars, restaurants). This split ensures that home fans get a smooth streaming experience, while venues still get access via traditional systems.
How YouTube TV Sunday Ticket Works: Features & Experience
Games Included & Local/National Coverage
When you add Sunday Ticket, you gain access to almost every Sunday afternoon regular-season game that isn’t carried locally in your market. Meanwhile, your YouTube TV Base Plan (if you have it) covers local and national broadcasts—such as Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and playoff games.
To avoid duplicates, games that air on your local CBS and FOX affiliates in your home region remain blacked out under Sunday Ticket.
Key Features
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Multiview lets you watch up to 4 games at once in a split or grid layout—ideal for monitoring multiple matchups simultaneously.
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Fantasy View prioritizes your fantasy players’ games, with stats, scores, and camera focus built around your roster.
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You can access replays, key plays, and highlights, to catch up even if you miss portions of the broadcast.
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The service supports many devices: smart TVs, streaming boxes, gaming consoles, phones, tablets, and web browsers.
Blackout Rules & Location Sensitivity
YouTube uses your device location to determine what games you can watch. If you travel or change your “home area,” your access might shift accordingly.
Additionally, some games might remain blacked out due to local affiliate broadcasts or NFL rules (for example, if the home-market game is airing locally).
Subscription Options & Pricing of YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
Bundled vs Standalone
You can get Sunday Ticket either as an add-on to YouTube TV or as a standalone through YouTube Primetime Channels.
If you choose the standalone route, you lose access to your local and national games that YouTube TV provides; you’d need other services for full coverage.
Payment Models & Price Tiers
YouTube offers several payment models:
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Season Pass (lump sum)
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Monthly / installment (non-cancellable for the season)
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Month-to-Month (in some cases)
Pricing depends on whether you’re a new or returning customer, whether you bundle with YouTube TV, and whether you add NFL RedZone.
Some recent 2025 pricing examples:
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For YouTube TV subscribers: $378/year or $31.50/month (12 monthly payments)
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For non-YouTube TV users (standalone): $480/year or $40/month
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RedZone add-on (for Sunday Ticket subscribers) adds roughly $10.99/month
Also, YouTube often runs promotions or discounts (e.g. student, military, or carrier bundles) to reduce costs for certain groups.
Cancellation & Refund Policies
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Month-to-month plans: You can cancel at any time, and you’ll keep access until your next billing date. However, YouTube does not offer refunds for the portion you already paid.
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Season passes or installments: These are nonrefundable. You can disable auto-renewal for the next season.
Promotions, Offers & Special Deals for YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
YouTube collaborates with carriers and organizations to offer deals. For example:
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“NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube, On Us” — Verizon and other providers sometimes give the package free as a perk with select phone, internet, or TV plans.
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Military / first responder offers — YouTube has offered Sunday Ticket at $198 for eligible military / first responders.
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Student discounts — Some users report obtaining steep discounts (e.g. pricing around $119) via verified student plans.
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YouTube Premium members may see special promos (e.g. a lower Sunday Ticket rate) in certain years.
Timing these offers is crucial: many appear before the season starts or during promotional windows. Always compare the base pricing vs promos before subscribing.
Strengths & Advantages of YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
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Access to games you wouldn’t normally get: Especially for fans of teams outside your local region, Sunday Ticket fills the gap.
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Streaming flexibility: No satellite dish or special hardware required; stream on your devices.
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Feature-rich viewing: Multiview, fantasy integration, replays, and more help you customize your experience.
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Centralized platform: Combine local, national, and out-of-market games in one ecosystem (if you bundle with YouTube TV).
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Scalability & innovation: YouTube continues adding features and refining the experience to compete in streaming sports.
Challenges, Criticisms & Risks of YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
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High total cost: When you combine YouTube TV + Sunday Ticket (plus RedZone), the price becomes steep. Many users express “sticker shock.”
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No team-specific or single game option: You can’t just buy coverage for a single team or a single week’s game.
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Technical reliability: Under peak demand, streams may lag or stutter; outages have been reported.
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Blackouts & local restrictions: Even with Sunday Ticket, local games may still be blocked, and broadcasting rules still apply.
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Year-over-year price hikes: Returning users often face higher pricing than new ones.
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Carriage / contract risk: Disputes with networks (for example NBCUniversal) may jeopardize access to prime content. (Note: as of October 2025, a deal was reached to prevent a blackout of NBC content on YouTube TV)
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Legal scrutiny: The exclusivity and pricing of Sunday Ticket have faced antitrust scrutiny in the past, and some lawsuits remain relevant.
Recent Developments & Future Trends
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In 2025, YouTube introduced 12 non-cancellable monthly payments for Sunday Ticket, giving users more flexibility in how they pay.
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The platform is also expanding multiview capabilities (e.g. mixing non-sports content into custom multiview layouts).
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A carriage agreement between YouTube and NBCUniversal was reached in October 2025, averting a blackout risk for Sunday Night Football.
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Looking ahead, streaming rights fragmentation, more interactive features, and potentially tiered offerings or per-game access could reshape how Sunday Ticket evolves.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Subscribe YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
Who it’s ideal for:
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Fans who live outside their team’s local market and would otherwise miss many games
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Fantasy football players who want the broadest coverage
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Households with multiple viewers who want to stream multiple games simultaneously
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Viewers who already subscribe to (or plan to subscribe to) YouTube TV
Who may want to skip or wait:
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Fans whose team is regularly on local broadcasts (i.e. little value added)
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Cost-sensitive viewers who won’t utilize most of the out-of-market games
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People with unstable or limited internet bandwidth
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Someone only interested in occasional games — the package is all-or-nothing
If you weigh cost vs value, always run a “usage forecast” (how many games you’d watch vs cost) before committing.
Conclusion
YouTube TV Sunday Ticket brings out-of-market NFL games into the streaming era. It gives fans the flexibility, features, and access that satellite-based models couldn’t deliver. Yet the cost and restrictions remain real trade-offs.
As the sports streaming landscape evolves, Sunday Ticket may adapt—offering more tiers, flexible game-level purchases, or interactive enhancements. For now, it stands as one of the strongest premium offerings for die-hard NFL fans seeking full coverage on Sundays.
FAQs
1. Can I buy Sunday Ticket for just one team or a single game?
No. You can’t purchase Sunday Ticket for one team or one week — it’s only available as a full-season package or through a fixed monthly installment plan. This structure ensures fans get complete access to every out-of-market Sunday game throughout the NFL season. While it may seem less flexible, it’s designed for dedicated fans who want consistent coverage. For casual viewers, individual game streaming services may be a better fit.
2. Can I cancel mid-season or get a refund?
If you’re on the Month-to-Month option, you can cancel anytime, and your access continues until the next billing cycle — but you won’t get refunds for already-paid months. For Season Pass or installment plans, cancellations won’t trigger any refund or credit. You can, however, turn off auto-renewal to prevent the charge for the next season. Always double-check your billing terms before confirming your subscription to avoid unwanted charges.
3. Why is my team’s game blacked out even with Sunday Ticket?
Blackouts happen when your local CBS or FOX affiliate already airs the same game, as local rights take priority over Sunday Ticket. The platform uses your device location to determine these restrictions automatically. You can verify or adjust your “home area” settings in your YouTube TV account to ensure correct game access. If blackouts persist, it’s usually due to local broadcast contracts beyond YouTube’s control.
4. How many devices can stream Sunday Ticket at once?
You can stream Sunday Ticket on unlimited screens simultaneously within your household, making it perfect for families or shared homes. However, access is tied to one home location and isn’t meant for multiple households. If someone tries to stream outside your designated area, YouTube may block playback or request location verification. To enjoy smooth viewing, make sure you registered to all your devices under the same account and home area.
5. Is Sunday Ticket available outside the U.S.?
No, YouTube TV Sunday Ticket is only available to viewers within the United States. If you travel abroad, access will be blocked because of regional licensing agreements. Using a VPN may seem like a workaround, but it violates YouTube’s terms of service and can risk account suspension. The best way to watch overseas is through international broadcasters that officially carry NFL rights.