YouTube TV’s integration of ESPN Unlimited content brought thousands of live events and studio shows to the platform, in YouTube’s endless efforts to gather sports content in one place. But one long-running program didn’t make the move.
Despite listings for NFL Primetime Presented by Mucinex, ESPN’s Sunday evening NFL recap show isn’t viewable on YouTube due to rights restrictions, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
The snag underscores how tangled sports media rights have become, and the gaps that remain. YouTube, its parent company Google, the NFL, ESPN and its parent company Disney are all partners with each other in multiple ways. ESPN will have the Super Bowl this year, the NFL owns 10% of the sports media giant, YouTube carries Sunday Ticket in a $14 billion tie-up, while teams post hours of content on their own YT pages. ESPN invests heavily in its YouTube presence too. And yet …
NFL Primetime is viewable on ESPN’s digital platform, but not through YouTube TV.
Things were simpler in 1987, when Chris Berman and Tom Jackson hosted the debut episode of NFL Primetime, recapping the day’s action on Sunday evening for ESPN. The show continued through the 2005 season, followed by a 13-season hiatus after NBC grabbed exclusive rights to air extended highlights in the runup to its Sunday Night Football games. But the emergence of ESPN+ gave the show new life in a digital-only format.
Now, ESPN+ and other ESPN Unlimited content is integrated into YouTube TV’s sports-heavy offerings. Except for Boomer and his new running mate, Booger McFarland.
Primetime’s revival came with accepting rights restrictions around the show. The programs are not viewable within the ESPN app after the next week’s action begins, and the show doesn’t have much of its own social media presence. It appears ESPN is unable to distribute show content on other platforms, as NBC remains the go-to option for YouTube TV viewers looking for extended highlights in a linear format ahead of Sunday’s marquee game.
ESPN acquired a number of NFL media assets, including NFL Network, this offseason, but the league still maintains control over how its highlights are handled.
Football fans can still watch NFL Primetime on ESPN’s apps. YouTube TV users can link their account to gain access to the ESPN+ show. And everyone can keep hoping for a simplified way to follow all their favorite sports.
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