Right before the season begins, YouTube offers a free NFL Sunday Ticket trial

The much-anticipated launch of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV is now only days away, and Google has finally given those interested in testing out the service some very good news: a 7-day free trial is now available. This move allows prospective customers to dip their toes in the water a bit before committing to the Sunday Ticket’s not-so-small subscription fees.

To catch you up in case you’re new to all of this, NFL Sunday Ticket packages used to be available exclusively through DirecTV since 1994. Now, for the first time ever, Google has secured the rights to stream out-of-market NFL games through YouTube and YouTube TV, making the service accessible without a cable or satellite package.

Free trials for a pricey subscription

The NFL Sunday Ticket package on YouTube isn’t any more expensive than it used to be, but it isn’t much cheaper, either. YouTube TV subscribers can access the package for $349, while general YouTube users will need to fork over $449 for the season. These prices give you access to stream out-of-market NFL games over the internet. There have been $100 price reductions in the past and a current $50 deal if you get started before the season begins, but those will all go away by this Sunday.

Initially, upon signing up, you were committed for the entire NFL season. Given that this is a new platform for these games, and many potential subscribers are unfamiliar with how it all works, this was a significant barrier for many. While we all expect things to go well, YouTube and YouTube TV are essentially untested partners for NFL Sunday Ticket, and that has likely made many potential buyers a bit scared to dive in. But it seems Google has taken these concerns to heart and confirmed they’ll be offering a 7-day free trial of the NFL Sunday Ticket package with a few restrictions (outlined on Google’s official support page):

• The free trial is only available when signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone on YouTube or YouTube TV.
• Free trials are not available through mobile carriers or internet providers like Frontier, Verizon, or Wow!.
• Student Plans for NFL Sunday Ticket are not eligible for free trials.
• Free trials may not be purchased with monthly payment plans.
• Current and former NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone subscribers on YouTube or YouTube TV are not eligible for the trial.

Interested users should be able to find the 7-day free trial option through the NFL Channel on YouTube or in the “Membership” section of their YouTube TV account. And by offering this sort of trial, I think Google has made a wise decision that should assist in the number of overall subscribers they will have this season. With an expensive price tag, it’s tough to get people to sign on for a service on an untested provider, even if it is a service as beloved as Sunday Ticket. Hopefully this move helps to assuage consumer fears around both YouTube and YouTube TV’s abilities to deliver NFL action seamlessly.