Why YouTube spent the money on NFL Sunday Ticket

YouTube won the big bidding war for NFL Sunday Ticket yesterday, beating out Apple, Amazon, and ESPN with a deal worth a reported $2 billion a year. NFL fans will now be able to get the out-of-market games package as part of the YouTube TV bundle or on its own in the main YouTube app as part of the Primetime Channels feature.

It’s a big win for YouTube and Google, which have been slowly but steadily taking over the TV streaming market. And it makes sense for the NFL, which got a deal that looks a lot like the cable and satellite deals it’s used to, dressed up in an app that actually works along with some fancy streaming tricks like live stats and the ability to say “creators” and “Gen Z” while gesturing at YouTube.

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