DirecTV has reached a new agreement with the National Football League that will allow satellite and streaming subscribers alike to access NFL Network and NFL RedZone.
The deal marks the first time the football-oriented channels have been offered to DirecTV subscribers on both platforms, a spokesperson for the service said in a statement.
“DirecTV was an initial launch partner of NFL Network over 20 years ago, and we’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership which caters to millions of DirecTV customers who are NFL fans,” Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of media distribution for the NFL, said on Tuesday. “This renewal will provide fans across DirecTV platforms the ability to watch NFL Network’s award-winning coverage of America’s most-popular sport, while also giving greater access to the wildly-popular NFL RedZone.”
The addition of NFL RedZone is a big deal for DirecTV: Since the mid-1990s, the satellite company operated its own RedZone-style channel that was offered to subscribers of its NFL Sunday Ticket package. The channel, called DirecTV Red Zone, closed earlier this year after the NFL awarded Google-backed YouTube the exclusive distribution rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. YouTube and its live TV service, YouTube TV, will distribute NFL RedZone instead of offering its own channel.
“With this agreement, DirecTV continues a long-standing partnership with the NFL and maintains our sports leadership position by delivering the best of sports content to our customers,” Rob Thun, the chief content officer at DirecTV, said in a statement. “This deal strengthens our NFL relationship as it includes expanded carriage of NFL Network and all the best action from Sunday’s games with NFL RedZone, which is now available to customers across all three DirecTV platforms.”
How to get NFL Network on DirecTV satellite, streaming and AT&T U-Verse
On DirecTV, the NFL Network will be available to satellite and streaming customers with the “Choice” package or higher. The Choice package costs $85 a month plus tax for the first two years when purchased through DirecTV satellite, or $100 a month plus tax when purchase via streaming.
The agreement also allows AT&T U-Verse customers with the “U200” package or higher to access NFL Network on that platform. AT&T stopped selling new U-Verse subscriptions in 2020, but still supports customers with TV packages who subscribed prior to the cutoff date.
How to get NFL RedZone on DirecTV satellite, streaming and AT&T U-Verse
DirecTV satellite and streaming customers can get NFL Network and NFL RedZone by subscribing to the “Premier” package. The plan costs $155 a month plus tax for the first two years on DirecTV satellite, or $155 a month plus tax on DirecTV streaming.
DirecTV satellite and streaming customers can also add the “Sports Pack” to any subscription with the Entertainment package or higher, which offers both the NFL Network and NFL RedZone. The Sports Pack costs $15 a month and unlocks a number of other sports-oriented channels, including CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, Fox Sports 2 (FS2), ESPNU, FanDuel TV, MLB Strike Zone and Tennis Channel, to name a few. (All these channels are automatically available in the Premier package.)
AT&T U-Verse subscribers will only be able to get NFL RedZone if they have the HD Premium Tier.
