While NFL Network no longer has the game content it did in the era where it was the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football (and even in the later era where it simulcast TNF and had a few exclusive Thursday games of its own), it’s still managed to maintain decent carriage. And that carriage has now expanded. The network announced Tuesday that it reached a carriage deal with AT&T U-verse and DirecTV Stream, which also includes NFL RedZone (and will include the Scott Hanson-hosted version of NFL RedZone joining the main DirecTV satellite service this fall, which had previously had the Andrew Siciliano-hosted version of the show). Here’s more on that from a NFL release:
DIRECTV today announced a multi-year renewal of its affiliation agreement with NFL Media that will extend its existing carriage of NFL Network on DIRECTV (via satellite) and will add distribution of NFL Network via DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse.
Also, DIRECTV will now for the first time carry NFL RedZone across all platforms. Both NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be available on all platforms in the coming weeks.
…“DIRECTV was an initial launch partner of NFL Network over 20 years ago and we’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership which caters to millions of DIRECTV customers who are NFL fans,” said Hans Schroeder, Executive Vice President of Media Distribution for the NFL. “This renewal will provide fans across all DIRECTV platforms the ability to watch NFL Network’s award-winning coverage of America’s most popular sport while also giving greater access to the wildly popular NFL RedZone.”
“With this agreement, DIRECTV continues a long-standing partnership with the NFL and maintains our sports leadership position by delivering the best of sports content to our customers,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer, DIRECTV. “This deal strengthens our NFL relationship as it includes expanded carriage of NFL Network and all the best action from Sunday’s games with NFL RedZone, which is now available to customers across all three DIRECTV platforms.”
The main DirecTV service switching to the Hanson-hosted version of RedZone was anticipated, as the Siciliano-hosted version is ending following the shift of the main Sunday Ticket rights to YouTube TV. But the addition of NFLN and RedZone (which is likely a significant portion of the draw here for AT&T) to U-verse and DTV Stream is notable. They had been off those services (but on DirecTV, also owned by AT&T) since 2019.
And that 2019 pull came with unusually strong comments from the NFL about how they received no advance notice from AT&T. So it’s interesting to see that resolved. And this also comes around generally-good carriage news for NFLN. In particular, Comcast dropped the network and RedZone in early May, but that carriage dispute only lasted a day (partly thanks to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell personally calling Comcast CEO Brian Roberts). The network also worked out a carriage dispute with Dish and Sling in 2020, and joined Hulu+Live TV in 2021.
As with that Hulu+Live TV deal, though (which has NFLN in a core package, but RedZone in an add-on package), exactly where NFLN and RedZone land matters. As per Matthew Keys at The Desk, on U-Verse (which is no longer offered separately by AT&T, a decision they made in 2020 in favor of promoting DTV and DTV Stream, but which still is maintained for existing customers), NFLN will be in the mid-range U200 package and up (around $127 monthly, as of last year). On DirecTV and DirecTV Stream, NFLN will be in the Choice ($85 a month through satellite, $100 a month through streaming) package and up. But RedZone will only be in the Premier ($155 a month) package.
However, both channels will be available in the DirecTV Sports Pack. And that pack of channels is now going to be available on DirectTV Stream for the first time. That pack, which also includes Big Ten Network, ACC Network, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network, FS2, FanDuel TV and more, is already in the Premier package. But it can be added to any package, including the cheaper $75-a-month Entertainment package, for $15 a month. So there are ways for customers below the Premier package level to get NFLN and RedZone. And that’s important distribution for the network and RedZone. And this is a valuable addition for DirecTV as well, as they noted in a pair of releases:
“With this agreement, DIRECTV continues a long-standing partnership with the NFL and maintains our sports leadership position by delivering the best of sports content to our customers,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer, DIRECTV. “This deal strengthens our NFL relationship as it includes expanded carriage of NFL Network and all the best action from Sunday’s games with NFL RedZone, which is now available to customers across all three DIRECTV platforms.”
…“The addition of NFL RedZone on DIRECTV is essential for our sports fans from coast to coast,” said Vince Torres, chief marketing officer of DIRECTV. “The NFL joins a strong lineup of networks our customers are familiar with to make the package the best a la carte sports offering in the industry, regardless of how users engage with DIRECTV.”
We’ll see how this addition works out for AT&T, but it’s certainly good carriage news for NFLN.
[DirecTV]
