All the excitement went straight down the drain when fans started facing problems while switching games. YouTube took over the consumer distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV starting with the 2023 NFL season to bring a better experience, but that soon turned into frustration.
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“Hey @YouTubeTV – What’s the point of having the NFL package if we can’t watch every game live?” the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi wrote on X. “Anyone who wants to watch Eagles-Commanders should have the option to watch and not be forced to wait until Saints-Lions end. This isn’t 1985. Fix this.”
The Saints vs. Lions game started at 1 p.m. ET, while Eagles vs. Commanders was scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET. The previous game’s broadcast was still going on when the latter began, as it had gone into overtime.
In March 2023, YouTube introduced the multiview feature. The idea behind multiview was simple: make it easier for fans to watch several games without interruption. Viewers can select up to four live streams in this feature and switch between them.
According to PFSN, for some viewers, the Commanders-Eagles game was blacked out when the previous game did finish.
“The NFL and YouTube TV really need to figure out Sunday Ticket,” Betting Pros’ Mike Maher tweeted. “I can’t watch Commanders – Eagles on Sunday Ticket because it’s “on locally” But the local FOX is showing Saints – Lions overtime, meaning Commanders – Eagles isn’t on. So I’m paying for a game I can’t watch, and this really shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. And why is the game blacked out on Sunday Ticket in the first place. It’s the local broadcast!
“lol even if you try to quad box with Commanders – Eagles selected, they STILL show you Saints – Lions. So, so, so dumb.”
And this isn’t the first time the issue has happened. On October 29, 2023, YouTube TV faced major buffering problems during its NFL Sunday Ticket coverage. Many fans could not properly watch their games and took to social media to complain. Buffalo Bills defensive lineman DaQuan Jones was also among those frustrated.
“You pay all this money for streaming services…just so they don’t work on the days you actually need them,” Jones said.
Imagine paying hundreds of dollars for NFL Sunday Ticket and still struggling to watch the game you want. For the 2026 season, new subscribers pay $240 for the full season or $30 a month for eight months, while returning YouTube TV subscribers pay $378. Then there’s is the Standalone Sunday Ticket that costs $480.
And that’s not all. Die-hard fans will be sent on wild goose chase if they want to catch every single regular season game and the playoffs, because they will have to subscribe to platforms that hold exclusive rights to them, like Prime Video, Netflix and Peacock. According to Forbes, for returning YouTube TV Sunday Ticket holders, the total cost goes up to a whopping $973 before taxes.
All that for fans not being able to watch the games they want to. That’s what made them furious.
“I was so pissed at this. Missed 11 minutes of the game even though I paid for the NFL package,” one fan wrote.
Other fans also pointed out their issues related to other games, with one mentioning, “Or Panthers/Bears. Show the teams we paid for when they are playing.”
Another one also added, “Same s— for the raider game… I can’t even watch Raiders and Dolphins smh.”
“This is 100 percent correct!” one user commented. “Completely and totally unacceptable @YouTubeTV.”
“@YouTube why advertise two streams out of the home for SundayTicket, if you’re going to consistently block or say stream limit reached,” another angry user commented. “At some point it’s false advertising. #NFLsundayticket.”
Well, let’s just wait and see how they respond to the current situation because fans are clearly waiting for an answer.