Network pricing to watch all NFL games in 2025

[Logic]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

 

I will never understand people advocating illegal streams. 

 

For some reason, it being media makes it pallatable for people to say things like like this. But most of us would never say “oh that restaurant meal was expensive - but there are ways to skip out the door before paying without the waitress knowing”. 

 

Why not just straight up say “i’m a thief”?

I can understand why theft of any kind might be a hard line in the sand for some, and no amount of moral equivocation can change that. I have doubts that some of you really and truly never steal a thing -- never read a paywalled article, never downloaded music from Napster, never eat a couple grapes in the produce section -- but okay, fine. Maybe so. Maybe you really and truly never steal a single thing in your life. Very respectable.

But perhaps YOU can understand how some of us feel that the NFL, who generated $23 BILLION in revenue in 2024, and who still gets plenty of our money for things like merchandise, jerseys, video games, and tickets...will be just fine even if some of its patrons stream games illegally.

The NFL is one of the greediest and most soulless profit machines in America. I truly don't bat an eye when I "steal" from an organization like that. I don't lose a bit of sleep. 

The original post, by the way? The one detailing how much it would cost for the average NFL fan to watch every NFL game? That explains exactly WHY I don't feel bad. The NFL CERTAINLY doesn't feel bad asking blue collared American workers to pay $1,500 a year to watch their product. 

 

[BigAl2526]

If I can't watch for free, I listen on radio instead.  We already have Netflix, and we can hitch a free ride on my daughter's Amazon Prime.  Some ESPN games are simulcast on ABC, so there are usually only a couple Bills' games I can't see free.

[RochesterLifer]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

 

I will never understand people advocating illegal streams. 

 

For some reason, it being media makes it pallatable for people to say things like like this. But most of us would never say “oh that restaurant meal was expensive - but there are ways to skip out the door before paying without the waitress knowing”. 

 

Why not just straight up say “i’m a thief”?

If you go to that restaurant, you can purchase the whole meal. They won't band together with other restaurants, forcing you to pay full meal prices at other restaurants for each course and drink.

 

Restaurants are also not subsidized by taxes for their buildings. Restaurants also do not bombard you with advertisements, forcing you to wait three minutes before taking each bite.

 

Very poor analogy.

[nucci]

2 hours ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

I am pretty sure that is not true.

You can purchase it as a standalone YouTube Primetime Channel for $480 per season. This allows you to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games. 

 

No YouTube TV Required: You don't need to be a YouTube TV subscriber to get NFL Sunday Ticket. 

Standalone Purchase: You can buy NFL Sunday Ticket as a standalone Primetime Channel, which is separate from the YouTube TV base plan. 

Cost: The standalone Primetime Channel option costs $480 per season. 

[90sBills]

2 hours ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

So you just buy the Sunday ticket but don't have Youtube TV? I tried last year and was told that I had to have YTTV to get the ticket.  I will double check, that would be great.  

Yes. I did the same last year. You watch games through YouTube with your registered email. 

[JerseyBills]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

I will never understand people advocating illegal streams. 

 

For some reason, it being media makes it pallatable for people to say things like like this. But most of us would never say “oh that restaurant meal was expensive - but there are ways to skip out the door before paying without the waitress knowing”. 

 

Why not just straight up say “i’m a thief”?

I think the NFL are much more the thiefs in this situation 

[BillsFan130]

In Canada you can watch every game on DAZN for 30 bucks a month 

[stevewin]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

I will never understand people advocating illegal streams. 

 

For some reason, it being media makes it pallatable for people to say things like like this. But most of us would never say “oh that restaurant meal was expensive - but there are ways to skip out the door before paying without the waitress knowing”. 

 

Why not just straight up say “i’m a thief”?

My biggest issue with illegal streams is all the spyware and other crap I imagine is being downloaded to my computer.

 

I will gladly pay the cost of standalone ST to just know I have reliable access each week.  I already have subscriptions to all the other streaming services so there is no net additional cost for me for those

Edited Thursday at 04:29 PM by stevewin

[WotAGuy]

Does anyone actually watch EVERY NFL game?  I guess if you want to, it will cost you less than $2 per hour of watching, so $6 a game. 

[WotAGuy]

3 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

I will never understand people advocating illegal streams. 

 

For some reason, it being media makes it pallatable for people to say things like like this. But most of us would never say “oh that restaurant meal was expensive - but there are ways to skip out the door before paying without the waitress knowing”. 

 

Why not just straight up say “i’m a thief”?

Exactly.  Like using the library. You “borrow” a book for three weeks, read it and boom!, you just stole a book sale from the author. Libraries have cheated authors out of billions of dollars. And I’m sick of it, and I’m not gonna take it anymore!!

[Peevo]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

You can purchase it as a standalone YouTube Primetime Channel for $480 per season. This allows you to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL games. 

 

No YouTube TV Required: You don't need to be a YouTube TV subscriber to get NFL Sunday Ticket. 

Standalone Purchase: You can buy NFL Sunday Ticket as a standalone Primetime Channel, which is separate from the YouTube TV base plan. 

Cost: The standalone Primetime Channel option costs $480 per season. 

 

Sunday ticket is so expensive, especially now as an out of market Bills fan.

 

With so many Bills games on SNF, TNF, MNF, etc, you're looking at paying full price for Sunday ticket for about 5-7 games a year.

 

It's not firm, becuase the back end of the schedule 4:30 games could still air over the air in the local market, and you then don't need Sunday Ticket either. 

 

Comes out to around $80 or more/game. 

 

There was rumblings in the Anti-Trust lawsuit discovery that ESPN was bidding on a "a la carte" or individual team discount option when Sunday Ticket went to bid in 2023. But shocker, the NFL didn't want to "devalue" a "premium streaming product" for "niche football fans" or whatever.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/espn-proposed-dropping-sunday-price-to-70-and-offering-single-team-packages-nfl-declined

It's insane that ESPN WANTED TO OFFER A LESS EXPENSIVE PRODUCT to the consumer as a potential loss-leader, and the NFL just was like "lol yeah no thanks". 

[Mr. WEO]

4 hours ago, Gregg said:

 

a year ago, it was calculated as half as much. https://www.thelines.com/nfl-schedule-release-cost-streaming-sunday-ticket-peacock-netflix-amazon-prime-2024/

 

YouTube TV basic package: $73/month ($438 total)

NFL Sunday Ticket: $239/year

Amazon Prime Video: $15/month ($75 total)

Peacock Premium subscription: $6/month ($6 total)

Netflix standard subscription: $15.50/month ($15.50 total)

Est. taxes and fees: $92.50

Grand total to watch every NFL game this season: $866

 

As many have pointed out, you can get Sunday ticket stand alone.  also, not sure why ESPN is listed at $105 when it's included in YTTV, for example. 

 

anyway, 20 of 272 games were streamed last year.  how many fans typically seek to watch every game of the season??  Hopeless gamblers maybe.  

 

also, complaining about the "greed" of the NFL falls flat. they have a wildly popular product that is in endlessly increasing demand.  Why shouldn't they get what the market will bear?  if you absolutely feel you must see every single NF game, , then you will pay for that.  What other private business that lowers the price for having more access to their product.

 

 

[T.E.]

Please just let us buy games a la carte.

 

I have to get the Ticket to watch the Bills and don't give a rat's ass about being able to watch the Cardinals play the Seahawks nine times a year ar 4PM.

[SoMAn]

3 hours ago, chongli said:

The tweet is kind of histrionic. AFAIK, Amazon Prime TNF is free on Twitch TV. Plus, most have Prime anyway. You can also watch all games for a much lower price on NFL+, or just go to a sports bar. 

NFL+ for around $99/year... BUT  the games are only shown after completion of the 'live' game. i.e.-A Bills 1pm game will start airing on the NFL app around 4pm after the final gun. The caveat is if you want to enjoy it as a live game without knowing the outcome, you need to stay off the grid and turn your phone off,  otherwise all the people in your social circle who know you're a Bills fan will start texting you with "great game", or "the Bills got robbed".  

 

I've opted out of the NFL Sunday ticket this year. The price keeps going up but that's not the main reason. With the BIlls being shown nationally, probably at least 8-10 times, and the Bills playing the Falcons division (I'm in ATL), it's not a very good value to pay $479 for what may amount to 5 or 6 games. At that price point, I may as well go to a Bills Backers bar or watch a couple of games on NFL+ with the delay. I also have a friend (Bills fan)nearby who's getting the ticket this year, so I can watch a game or two with him. 

 

Sadly, the days are long gone of calling Directv, threatening cancellation, getting the ticket for free, and then additional credits and free premium channels as an extra. Suckers.

[Doc Brown]

12 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

As many have pointed out, you can get Sunday ticket stand alone.  also, not sure why ESPN is listed at $105 when it's included in YTTV, for example. 

 

anyway, 20 of 272 games were streamed last year.  how many fans typically seek to watch every game of the season??  Hopeless gamblers maybe.  

I consider it 334 games including the pre-season and playoffs.  I have a system though.  It's gotta work eventually.

[billsfan89]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

My wife teases me because she says I’m a rule follower, which is generally true. I’m not one who goes looking for free streams, but I have no problem with anyone who goes that rout. The NFL deserves it for their greed. I’m sure the NFL doesn’t like that, but they like the alternative even less - I can stop caring.

 

I’m much more of a Bills fan than an NFL fan these days. 

A lot of sports piracy comes from people just now knowing where the games are on.

[Johnny Bravo]

4 hours ago, Simon said:

 

A restaurant has competition and must cater to its customers to make money.

The NFL has no competition and takes advantage of that fact by maximizing profits with less than zero regard for its customer's wants or needs.

I've recently lost any qualms I may have once had about honesty and fair play when it comes to the NFL.

If you want to consider me a thief for "stealing" from unethical robber barons, so be it.

Of course the NFL has competition-MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, College Football, etc.  And that competition is just in sports.

 

Expand that out a bit and there is competition from all the streaming services, movies, books, time with family and 10,000 other leisure pursuits and recreation.

 

The fact is that the NFL has a product that you want more than those alternatives and you somehow feel justified in enjoying it without paying for it.  The very fact that you still use its product disproves your statement that the NFL has zero regard for it's customer's wants (unless you are in the habit of spending your free time doing things you don't like).

4 hours ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

So you just buy the Sunday ticket but don't have Youtube TV? I tried last year and was told that I had to have YTTV to get the ticket.  I will double check, that would be great.  

You can subscribe directly through YouTube and watch games there as well without YouTubeTV.

[co_springs_billsfan]

4 hours ago, Draconator said:

My TV App gets all NFL games for $47 a month, all legal. (Plus all MLB, NBA, NHL, ESPN+, and over 600 local stations across the US. Even BBC from England and other English Stations). 

Go on...

[BullBuchanan]

4 hours ago, Draconator said:

My TV App gets all NFL games for $47 a month, all legal. (Plus all MLB, NBA, NHL, ESPN+, and over 600 local stations across the US. Even BBC from England and other English Stations). 

No it isn't. 

[Einstein]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

But perhaps YOU can understand how some of us feel that the NFL, who generated $23 BILLION in revenue in 2024

 

Where’s the line, though? Walmart made over $600 billion last year—should we all just fill our carts and walk out because they’ve “made enough”? Well, if everyone did that, the business would collapse. That’s the problem with justifying theft based on company profits - It literally relies on others doing the right thing so that you can do the wrong thing. The logic is: “I don’t have to pay because enough others already did.” That only works if a critical mass doesn’t think like you. It's freeloading, plain and simple.

 

Simon’s point about collusion and lack of competition is more compelling - but even that doesn’t justify piracy in my opinion. It might justify regulatory pressure, not theft.

PS to all who responded to my original post: I'm not ignoring you - I just don't want to clutter this thread with replies. The reply above synthesizes what I would have said in each anyway.