Remember when YouTube told us there wouldn’t be a monthly payment option for NFL Sunday Ticket? Well, plans change.
As spotted by The Streamable, a YouTube help page notes that users in most U.S. states will be able to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket in four monthly installments rather than all up front.
That’s welcome news to those of us leery of forking over for NFL Sunday Ticket in one big chunk, all in advance. Discounts aside, NFL Sunday Ticket costs $349 a season for YouTube TV subscribers, or a whopping $449 a season via YouTube Primetime Channels. (YouTube is currently offering $50 off NFL Sunday Ticket prices until September 19).
For example, if you sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels, your four monthly payments would be $99.75 each, with the total price taking into account the current $50-off promotion.
And in case you’re wondering, yes: The NFL Sunday Ticket monthly payment option is available both for YouTube TV users as well as those who get the Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels.
Naturally, there’s some fine print to be aware of when it comes to paying for NFL Sunday Ticket in monthly installments.
First of all, while most states will be able to pay monthly for Sunday Ticket, there are about a half-dozen exceptions, including some big ones.
Here are the states where you cannot opt for NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installments:
- Georgia
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- Tennessee
In those seven states (I’m in New York, sniff), you’ll need to pay for NFL Sunday Ticket in one lump sum, with the amount due at the time of purchase. (The reason, YouTube says, is “to ensure our compliance with local requirements.”)
Also, if you were thinking you could sign up for, say, just a month of Sunday Ticket and then cancel, think again.
The YouTube help page has this to say when it comes to going with the NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installment option:
If you purchase NFL Sunday Ticket through a monthly payment plan, your purchase is made once your first payment has been charged and you won’t be able to cancel your membership for the season you purchased. You will be automatically charged on a monthly basis for all remaining payments due for that season.
In other words, the NFL Sunday Ticket monthly installment option exists just to spread out the pain, not to allow viewers to dip in for a month or two and then bail.
Back in April, a YouTube TV rep posted on Reddit that while monthly installment options for NFL Sunday Ticket weren’t available at the time, the streamer was “looking into more payment formats to use in the future.”
It’s good to see YouTube make good on its promise by rolling out monthly payments for NFL Sunday Ticket, but what about a little more innovation?
Personally, I’d love the option to pay just for a single month of Sunday Ticket–or, better yet, how about paying a reduced fee for a single team? Or maybe just a weekend?
Call it a Hail Mary pass, but hey, a football fan can dream.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.