YouTube TV snags coveted NFL Sunday Ticket

The news: The NFL is about to finalize a deal with Google's YouTube TV for the rights to its subscription-only Sunday Ticket package of games, CNBC reports.

• According to insiders, the transaction excludes an interest in NFL Media, the league's other media asset that was on the table that includes the linear cable channels NFL Network and RedZone.
• After DirecTV held the Sunday Ticket rights for so long, the league had been seeking a relationship with a streaming provider.

The price tag: The deal's specifics were still being worked out as of Tuesday, but The New York Times reports the final deal could cost Google about $2.5 billion. The number of YouTube TV subscribers that Google is able to recruit as a result of the deal, as well as other performance standards, will affect the final value.

• For comparison, DirecTV has paid $1.5 billion annually since 2015.
• The NFL has been looking for a buyer prepared to spend between $2 billion and $3 billion for Sunday Ticket. It had been in contact with several media companies, including Amazon, Apple, and ESPN. Apple looked likely to be the winner, but talks stalled recently.

Why it matters: YouTube TV winning Sunday Ticket over Apple is a major coup for Google.

• The service, which surpassed five million users in July, could see a rapid increase in demand.
• Apple has recently spent handsomely to build up its sports streaming bona fides, securing rights to Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, and this is one that undoubtedly would have fit in nicely with its sports strategy.