By Jonathan Easton
The NFL has confirmed plans to launch a standalone streaming service ahead of the upcoming season.
In an interview with CNBC, commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the league will launch the long-anticipated NFL+ in time for the new season in September.
Details are currently scarce, with Goodell admitting “it’s really in an early stage,” but the exec said he is confident that “it will be an important strategy for us going forward.”
The confirmation comes after a Sport Business Journal report in May claimed that such a service was on its way for US$5 per month. That report said that NFL+ would provide fans access to matches they would otherwise be able to watch on local TV in their market, with those streaming rights previously held by Yahoo.
In 2021, the NFL agreed 10-year deals with Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, and NBC, which will come into effect from the start of the 2023 season. More recently, Disney, Amazon and Apple have all put in offers for the NFL Sunday Ticket rights, with Goodell telling CNBC that a streaming service will be selected in the coming months.
He said: “I clearly believe we’ll be moving to a streaming service. I think that’s best for consumers at this stage.”
