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The Value of NFL Sunday Ticket Just Keeps Plummeting

More standalone windows means fewer games for the Sunday slate and a weaker YouTubeTV product.
Jimmy Traina|
Each year, fewer and fewer games are left for the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Each year, fewer and fewer games are left for the NFL Sunday Ticket package. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

1. “Sunday at 1.”

For the die-hard NFL fan, that phrase means something. There is a special anticipation that builds as each minute ticks away until kickoff across the country. If you’re an NFL Sunday Ticket customer, you can have anywhere from one to four games on your television as you get ready to monitor a slew of games kicking off at 1 p.m. ET.

Each season, though, the Sunday package of games becomes weaker and weaker thanks to the NFL selling off games here and there. It appears that the 2026 season will feature a more feeble Sunday slate than ever before.

Sunday Ticket still has some value early in the season before the byes and the Saturday games. But once Thanksgiving comes along in Week 12, Sunday Ticket becomes an afterthought.

This year, a game that would’ve been played on Sunday will now be played on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Then you have the three games on Thanksgiving. And this year, there will be two Black Friday games for the first time ever. What’s left for Sunday at 1?

In addition, this season will feature Saturday games in Week 15, 16, 17 and 18. Last year, the Saturday games didn’t start until Week 16. So, where is that Week 15 Saturday night game coming from? It’s coming from CBS’s regional package on Sunday. Another hit for Sunday at 1.

Also new for 2026, the NFL will play a record-setting nine international games. These games are all in standalone windows. These are games that would normally be part of the Sunday Ticket package.

This will be the third year that the NFL airs a second prime-time game in Week 1. The previous two times it happened, the game was played on the Friday night after the traditional Thursday night opener. This season, the traditional NBC opener featuring the Seahawks will air on Wednesday, Sept. 9. On Thursday, the 49ers and Rams will play at 8:30 p.m. ET on Netflix.

There are two problems with this trend. One, many fans love the Sunday at 1 window. However, the NFL is making it such that you can blow off the early Sunday games because the schedule features nothing but duds. Second, and most importantly, by far, is that NFL Sunday Ticket costs $480 for the year if you are not a YouTubeTV subscriber. FOUR. HUNDRED. AND. EIGHTY. DOLLARS. (The Sunday Ticket price for YouTubeTV subscribers is $378.)

I’ve had NFL Sunday Ticket since 1999. I’ve always said I’d have it for life no matter what price they charge. For the first time ever, I’m considering skipping Sunday Ticket for this season. Unless you are a fan of an out-of-market team, I don’t see Sunday Ticket as the necessity it used to be in the past.

You know the cliché saying, you get what you pay for? Well, you’re not getting much for what you pay for anymore with NFL Sunday Ticket.

2. This sort of ties into the theme of the lead item. It’s good to see some fans pushing back on the absurd World Cup ticket prices. According to Front Office Sports, tons of tickets remain available for the event. Sports fans never seemed to mind getting priced gauged, but maybe that’s changing.

3. This is a couple of weeks old, but this is so creative that I needed to give these Brewers fans props for figuring out how to have a spaghetti feast while watching a game.

From the “you learn something new every day department,” several teams will allow you to bring spaghetti to the ballpark.

4. On one hand, I loved hearing Bengals coach Zac Taylor tell Peter Schrager that he loves craps because I love craps. On the other hand, I'm disappointed to hear Taylor and Schrager are so staunch about playing the Come Line. I’m 100% a Don’t Come player.

5. The Giants don’t win that much (17–24), so they get very excited when they pull off a victory.

6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina features segments with Richard Deitsch of Sports Business Journal and Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post.

The podcast kicks off with Deitsch discussing the latest sports media news. Topics include ratings for the NFL draft, NBA playoffs and Kentucky Derby, the status of Inside the NBA, CBS having interest in Russell Wilson, the future of Dianna Russini and much more.

Following Deitsch, Vaccaro joins the podcast to discuss the legendary career of John Sterling. The columnist details his relationship with Sterling while explaining what made Sterling unique and analyzing Sterling’s massive popularity among Yankees fans.

Following Vaccaro, Sal Licata, from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show, joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include my review of Netflix’s Hulk Hogan documentary, the Kentucky Derby, the Knicks’ playoff run, Ben Stiller choosing the Met Gala over the Sixers-Knicks playoff game and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: The greatest Beverly Hills, 90210 episode aired on this date in 1993.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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