Does YouTube TV have NFL Network: Everything You Need to Know

Live football streaming, without a costly cable package, is a high priority for millions of sports fans each season. There are usually a lot of unknowns when it comes to cable subscriptions, such as hidden costs, long-term contracts, and confusing package structures that make getting to the essential sports networks difficult. As football season has rapidly approached, cord-cutters must find out which streaming platforms offer their preferred sports channels, or they won’t be able to see a single touchdown or pre-game analysis.

Does YouTube TV have NFL Network? Yes, YouTube TV features the channel as part of their Base Plan. Unlike a few other streaming services, viewers don’t have to pay for an additional add-on or upgrade to a higher tier to watch standard channel broadcasts, making it one of the easiest ways to watch football.

Understanding YouTube TV Base Plan Coverage

With YouTube TV, you’ll have one basic channel pack to beat the cable in the show. YouTube TV offers major sports networks right in the entry-level tier – a stark contrast to other companies that conceal sports channels in their higher-tier plans.

Subscribers get local network affiliates—including CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC—alongside national channels like ESPN and NFL Network. To better understand package pricing and tier details, reviewing the total YouTube TV cost helps put these base features in perspective. This complete coverage makes it simple to tune into local Sunday afternoon matchups, Monday night broadcasts, and weekday football news programs on one shared platform.

What’s on NFL Network?

The standard 24-hour channel feed is available with a YouTube TV subscription. A broad cross-section of original football programming can be seen all year round:

• Morning Football: League news, player interviews and game preview show in the morning.
• NFL Total Access: Nightly news show with highlights, postgame coverage and insider reports.
• Exclusive International Games: Regular season games played in foreign locations.
• Preseason Matchups: Any of dozens of live and re-aired preseason games before the regular season begins.
• Offseason Events: NFL Scouting Combine, Draft & Training Camp Reports live.

If you ever run into playback issues on your mobile device or TV, standard steps for YouTube TV troubleshooting can restore your live video feed quickly. 

How to Access NFL Network on YouTube TV

Setting up access takes only a few minutes on any internet-connected device. For detailed steps on device pairing and account setup, you can check youtvstart.com for guidance.

1. Open YouTube TV: Launch the app on a smart TV, streaming stick, mobile phone, or web browser.
2. Navigate to the Live Guide: Scroll down the channel list to find the channel row.
3. Search directly: Type the channel name into the search bar at the top of the interface for immediate access.
4. Add to Custom Guide: Customize the live guide order in settings to move sports channels to the top of the channel grid.

For example, a fan who wants to catch Thursday night analysis while traveling can simply open the mobile app on a phone or tablet to stream the live broadcast instantly.

Adding NFL RedZone with the Sports Plus Package

While the standard channel comes built into the base service, fans who want every single scoring play on Sunday afternoons can upgrade to NFL RedZone.

YouTube TV offers NFL RedZone through its optional Sports Plus bundle. To learn more about available extra channels beyond sports, checking out the guide to YouTube TV add-ons explains all channel expansion options. 

Key Differences Between Base Coverage and Sports Plus

Streaming Features for Football Fans on YouTube TV

Streaming live sports on YouTube TV includes several built-in features that enhance the viewing experience compared to traditional cable boxes.

Unlimited Cloud DVR Recording

YouTube TV includes unlimited cloud DVR space with every base subscription. Fans can set the DVR to automatically record every game, pregame show, or specific team’s matchups throughout the year. Recordings are saved for up to nine months without taking up physical hard drive storage.

Multiview Streaming

During busy Sunday afternoons, YouTube TV offers a Multiview feature that allows subscribers to watch up to four live sports streams simultaneously on one screen. Users can select pre-set combinations of broadcast games and switch audio between screens instantly.

Key Plays View

If a viewer tunes into a game late, YouTube TV offers a “Catch Up with Key Plays” feature. This uses automated tracking to compile short video clips of scoring plays and big turnovers before joining the live broadcast stream.

YouTube TV vs. Other Live TV Streaming Services

Different streaming platforms handle football channels in various ways. The table below compares how YouTube TV stacks up against other major cord-cutting services:

Out-of-Market Games: YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket

It is important to distinguish between standard channel broadcasts and out-of-market game coverage.

• NFL Network on YouTube TV: Airs national programming, studio shows, and select exclusive games to all subscribers.
• NFL Sunday Ticket: An exclusive add-on package hosted on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. It provides access to Sunday afternoon games that are broadcast on local FOX and CBS affiliates outside your home market.

If a fan lives in Chicago but wants to watch every Sunday game of a team based in Miami, they will need NFL Sunday Ticket in addition to standard channel access.

Conclusion

YouTube TV offers a simple and easy-to-use alternative to cable for streaming live football. Full network access is part of the standard Base Plan, meaning that football fans have instant access to year-round news, studio analysis, draft coverage and exclusive games—all at no additional cost. YouTube TV is one of the best overall live TV platforms for sports fans, thanks to its many features, including unlimited cloud DVR and Multiview. Cord-cutters have total and trouble-free access to their favorite league content throughout the season—whether it’s catching weekday morning analysis or setting up weekend recordings.