NFL Sunday Ticket Creator Jon Taffer Reacts to Sports Package Moving to YouTube (Exclusive)
Most people know Jon Taffer as the host of the Paramount Network series Bar Rescue. But not many people know that that 68-year-old is the creator of the popular sports television package NFL Sunday Ticket. PopCulture.com recently spoke to Taffer about Sunday Ticket moving from DirecTV to YouTube for the 2023 season.
"It's unbelievable the billions of dollars involved in these transactions now," Taffer exclusively told PopCulture. "I remember when we started it, it wasn't available at home. When we started Sunday Ticket, it was just a commercial license. You could only get it in bars and restaurants. Then I think it was three years later that we introduced it at home, and of course now home is more revenues than the commercial licenses."
Sunday Ticket is a way for NFL fans to watch all the games being aired on Sunday. YouTube, which is owned by Google, signed a deal where it would provide the package to fans after agreeing to a seven-year, $2 billion per year contract. According to CNBC, DirecTV was paying $1.5 billion, losing about $500 million annually.
"It's amazing 25 years later, to see its growth and how important it still is to everyone," Taffer said. "But it's fascinating to see it go from a television provider to an internet service. That's a big transition for people. So we'll see how it goes. YouTube paid a lot of money for it, but it could change their whole platform and really move them into a whole new world. So I think it's exciting when you look at what's happening with streaming services and television networks and the new opportunities that exist for content out there. It's a transitory time for sure, but it's an exciting time."
The move comes as the NFL officially enters its new television contract with the networks. CBS will continue to air AFC games, while Fox will focus on teams that play in the NFC. NBC will continue to air Sunday Night Football, while ABC/ESPN will still be the home of Monday Night Football. Additionally, Prime Video is the new home of Thursday Night Football, and that deal began last year. One big move will be the Super Bowl as ABC/ESPN has been added to the broadcast rotation. The Disney-owned networks will air the big game in 2026 and 2030.