Huge NFL deal from YouTube

Alphabet Inc. has won the rights to broadcast the NFL’s Sunday season games starting in 2023. The deal is valued at more than $2 billion per year over seven years, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The service will be offered in two separate packages, the company said Thursday. The service will be available on YouTube TV, an online and cable TV alternative service, and YouTube Primetime, a way to subscribe directly to pay-TV channels such as Showtime and Starz. Analysts say the deal is likely to give YouTube TV a significant boost in subscribers. YouTube’s pricing plans have not yet been announced. The sources added that the NFL retains the commercial rights to broadcast Sunday games in bars and restaurants and could sell them to another company. YouTube TV, which has more than 100 channels, is the largest online pay-per-view platform with about 5 million subscribers, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. YouTube, meanwhile, faces a serious challenge in making NFL Sunday streaming rights profitable. DirecTV, which has about 2 million NFL subscribers, has been losing money on the package for years due to its $1.5 billion annual rights fee.