The National Football League plans to select a streaming service as its new Sunday Ticket partner and will choose a winner by the fall, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday.
“I clearly believe we’ll be moving to a streaming service,” Goodell told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin in an exclusive interview at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley conference in Idaho. “I think that’s best for consumers at this stage.”
Apple, Amazon and Disney which owns ESPN+, have all submitted bids to be the league’s exclusive Sunday Ticket distributor, according to media reports. Goodell confirmed discussions have been going on for more than a year to find a new partner to replace DirecTV, whose contract with the league ends after this season.
Sunday Ticket is the only way fans can watch live NFL Sunday afternoon games outside of what’s broadcast in their local markets on CBS and FOX. DirecTV paid $1.5 billion for annual rights. The NFL now wants more than $2 billion a year, CNBC reported.
