The NFL is the last major sports league to launch its own streamer, but its heart is still in cable
Flea flicker... The NFL preseason kicks off on August 4, but the National Football League already has a few tricks up its sleeve. The NFL just launched its own streaming service called (you guessed it) NFL+. The streamer will replace NFL Game Pass, and is available exclusively on smartphones and tablets (no streaming to TV). For $5/month, or $40/year:
- On-the-move: NFL+ subscribers get access to all out-of-market preseason games. That perk was previously only available for $100/year through NFL Game Pass (RIP).
- In-the-palm: Subscribers also get live streaming access to regular and postseason local and prime-time games. Previously, that was free through the Yahoo Sports app and the NFL mobile app (womp).
- Not included yet: Exclusive regular-season games. Nationally televised games like the preseason kick off between the Raiders and the Jaguars won’t be featured.
Perfect spiral... into sports streaming. The NFL is the last of the major sports leagues to add streaming to its playbook: the NBA, MLB, and NHL already offer streamers that feature games outside of viewers' broadcast regions. Streaming provides an opportunity for the NFL to rake in extra $$ as cord-cutting continues, especially among Gen Z’ers. But NFL+ is way more limited than other major sports streamers — possibly because the NFL doesn’t actually need streaming.
The NFL is cable’s lifeline… For the NFL, streaming is a bonus — like a post-touchdown extra point, it’s a nice-to-have. For cable, the NFL is a necessity: the NFL is one of the biggest viewership drivers for the traditional TV industry, and is still thriving on air. Last year, the NFL attracted its highest regular season viewership average since 2015. Average viewers jumped 10% from 2020 to 17M/game. Also last year: the NFL sealed a 10-year deal with its TV partners that’s worth $100B+.