NFL+ is here, but it’s probably not what you’re looking for (original) (raw)

After months of rumors and teases, the National Football League has launched a new streaming video service. Unfortunately, the new service has limitations, as it's caught up in a tangled mess of arrangements with different services.

NFL+ replaces NFL Game Pass, which offered more utility but was 99.99annually.NFL+costs99.99 annually. NFL+ costs 99.99annually.NFL+costs4.99 monthly or $39.99 per year. TechCrunch reports that NFL Game Pass subscribers will be automatically moved to NFL+.

The new service "offers access to live out-of-market preseason games, live local and primetime regular season and postseason games (phone and tablet only), live local and national audio for every game, NFL Network shows on-demand, NFL Films archives and more," according to the NFL's press release.

There's a second tier: NFL+ Premium. That tier costs 9.99permonthor9.99 per month or 9.99permonthor79.99 annually and adds ad-free game replays and some other, more minor perks that were previously part of Game Pass. All tiers additionally include on-demand access to NFL Network shows, archive content from NFL Films, and live audio for all games.

The "phone and tablet only" note for live local and primetime regular season and postseason games is the big limitation here. It means it's not a replacement for the regular broadcasts if you want to watch on your TV. To watch those games on your game console, smart TV, or streaming box, you'll need something totally different: an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription.

As reported earlier Monday, several tech companies are bidding to own that Sunday Ticket, including Google and Apple. The NFL will pick a partner later this year. So the dust still hasn't settled for NFL fans who want a robust streaming solution.