The NFL rights story has been a relatively boring one to follow over the past several months, as the leagues and networks inch closer to signing new deals that appear to look a lot like their old ones. ESPN and NBC may compete financially to see who ends up with the better primetime package, but sources have been consistent in saying that the likelihood that one of the NFL’s main TV packages changing hands is not high. That status quo does not translate to the NFL’s out-of-market package, “Sunday Ticket,” which ends after next season. The NFL does not plan to start negotiating a new “Sunday Ticket” deal until after the TV deals are signed. Sources said that should come in the next couple of months. When the league opens its “Sunday Ticket” negotiations, it should expect a lot of activity -- especially since AT&T, which owns DirecTV, has made it clear that it is willing to give up exclusivity, or possibly, the entire package altogether. Sources expect “Sunday Ticket” to be primarily a digital service in its next deal. So far, Amazon Prime, ESPN+, Peacock and DAZN have showed some interest, though none have entered into formal talks about it yet. The question is whether any of those outlets would be willing to pay for exclusivity. DirecTV currently pays $1.5 billion per year for the rights. Last year, the NFL had the opportunity to opt out of its “Sunday Ticket” package but was not able to find a provider willing to pay as much as DirecTV for the rights.
