We haven’t met, but I know you.
You are a big NFL fan.
You talk and text about upcoming games with your friends and family, and you probably own a team jersey you wear on Sundays.
But you moved away from home, and want to watch your team without going to the local bar and asking they turn on the game.
However, you can’t seem to find a solution to live stream out-of-market NFL games, and your research has uncovered some rule about eligibility based on whether you can install a satellite dish?
This can’t be the rule, right?
Table of Contents
Apartments and Condos can stream out-of-market NFL games
Yes, as 1990s as it feels, for the 2022 season, that is the rule.
If you live in a condo, apartment, college dorm, townhouse, or other building that isn’t eligible to install a satellite dish, you can buy NFL Sunday Ticket.TV for the 2022 season through DIRECTV STREAM and live stream out-of-market NFL games. The package costs $300 over and above a DIRECTV STREAM subscription.
The satellite dish rule was put in place by DIRECTV after they paid billions for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Just as Amazon has used Yankees games and Thursday Night Football as “bait” to push more subscribers on Amazon Prime, so too has DIRECTV use its Sunday Ticket rights to motivate sports fans to get a satellite dish.
If you are eligible for a dish, DIRECTV wants you to pay for one in order to get Sunday Ticket. The only way you can stream Sunday Ticket in 2022, is to prove you can’t have a satellite dish.
However, DIRECTV is losing the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket after this season, and the NFL has already announced that anyone who shells out the money will be able to stream NFL Sunday Ticket in 2023.
For this season, you will have to live in a multifamily building for access to Sunday Ticket live online.
Most single family homes can’t stream out-of-market NFL games in 2022
The practical implication of the “satellite dish rule” is that NFL fans who live in a single family home will have to wait one more season until they can live stream NFL Sunday Ticket.
NFL Red Zone is an option
While it won’t get you entire games or seasons, NFL Red Zone is an option for out-of-market NFL fans who want to check in on their favorite team’s scoring drives. In the table below, I have listed all of the live TV streaming services that carry NFL Red Zone.
| DIRECTV STREAM | Fubo Sports Plus with NFL RedZone | Hulu + Live TV Sports Add-On | Hulu + Live TV | Orange & Blue Sports Extra | YouTube TV | YouTube TV Sports Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74.99 / month | $80.98 / month | $84.99 / month | $69.99 / month | $65 / month | $72.99 / month | $83.99 / month |
Your team will still be on some of the time
Even if you are an out-of-market NFL fan who isn’t eligible for NFL Sunday Ticket.TV in 2022, your team will still be on some of the time in your home market, with some teams appearing more than others.
For example, the Dallas Cowboys are on TV more than most other NFL teams, so even out-of-market Dallas fans don’t need Sunday Ticket to watch a good number of Cowboys games. For teams like the Bills, Jaguars, and Lions, it’s a different story, but even these teams will be broadcast on a national game, or a regional 4 pm kickoff game with large coverage, a few times every season.
Wait for the 2023 season
2022 is not the year to buy a satellite dish to watch NFL Sunday Ticket as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced the platform will become fully streaming compatible in 2023.
Some in the media believe Apple will pay 2.5 billion to house NFL Sunday Ticket on Apple TV+.
The satellite dish rule is frustrating, but have hope, next season will be the best yet for out-of-market NFL fans who cut the cord.
I’m so grateful to know this info & have been super angry about not being able to pay to stream and watch the Giants. About time the NFL does something about it. Glad to know I’m not alone in the frustration too.