YouTube in talks to acquire rights for NFL Sunday Ticket

SAN FRANCISCO: Google-owned YouTube is in advanced talks with National Football League to acquire exclusive rights for the Sunday Ticket, a subscription-only package that allows football fans to watch most Sunday afternoon games, media report said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the NFL owners, who approve rights deals, could reach an agreement as early as Wednesday.

Sunday Ticket allows subscribers to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon games, which include games not involving their local teams.

Streaming of NFL games would be available on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels next season, said the report.

YouTube has recently grown into a popular destination for television watchers, overtaking Netflix as the most-viewed streaming service on TV for the first time earlier this year, according to the report.

Earlier this week, Apple backed out of a deal to secure the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package.

According to Dylan Byers of Puck News, Apple backed out of the deal because it doesn't "see the logic", in closing the pricey football package, reports 9to5Google.

There were reports earlier this year that Apple was close to a deal with the NFL chiefs, as Apple executive Eddy Cue spoke to them in meetings.

But as negotiations with the NFL wore on, Apple backtracked on some of the contract's limitations, according to the report.

Moreover, the NFL Sunday Ticket is owned by DirecTV (an American multichannel video programming distributor), which provides subscribers with access to all NFL American football games played outside of their local markets, the report added.

However, DirecTV is not renewing its deal.