The YouTube video platform has won the right to broadcast most National Football League (NFL) games in the US next year.
Google, owners of YouTube will pay around $2 billion a year over seven years, US media reported, for the right to broadcast Sunday games on its subscription YouTube TV service, available only in the United States.
YouTube TV subscribers, who now pay $64.99 a month for a viewing package, will have to pay an added fee to view the games, or they can view them on its YouTube Primetime Channels platform.
National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell welcomed the development, saying it ushered in a “new era of how fans across the United States watch and follow the NFL.”
“This partnership is yet another example of us looking towards the future and building the next generation of NFL fans,” Goodell said.
The NFL’s official YouTube channel currently has more than 10 million subscribers, who regularly watch short videos showing high points from one of the world’s most powerful sports leagues.
YouTube TV has more than five million subscribers, and hopes the new deal will help it greatly extend its reach.