Technologies

YouTube Will Stream NFL Sunday Ticket Starting in 2023

Google has won the bidding war for the NFL’s out-of-market games.

Google’s sports streaming ambitions are getting a big boost. Starting with the 2023 NFL season, the company’s streaming TV subscriptions YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels will be the new home for NFL Sunday Ticket in the US. After reports of a pact circulated Tuesday night, the league and Google announced Thursday that the search giant’s massive video arm will be the exclusive provider to watch out-of-market NFL games, beginning next year.

YouTube didn’t detail pricing for Sunday Ticket yet.

Google takes over the Sunday Ticket package from DirecTV, which had an exclusive deal for the package since 1994. In recent years, the satellite provider paid the league over $1.5 billion annually for Sunday Ticket, often using the NFL games as a way to lure and retain subscribers. Now Google, with Sunday Ticket, is aiming to do the same for YouTube TV, its $65-per-month live-channel TV service, and YouTube Primetime Channels, subscriptions that you pay for and watch through your regular YouTube account.

Under the deal, the Sunday Ticket package will be available to stream as an add-on either through YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels, which launched in November with subscriptions to providers like Starz, Showtime and Paramount Plus. Under Primetime Channels, you will be able to sign up for Sunday Ticket on its own, without needing to shell out for YouTube TV.

Sunday Ticket will remain a DirecTV exclusive for the remainder of the 2022 NFL regular season.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Google’s deal with the NFL will see the tech giant pay the league «roughly» $2 billion a year for seven years, though it added that this cost could rise «if certain benchmarks are reached.» These rights are just for residential streams, with the NFL looking to also license out Sunday Ticket to commercial locations like bars and restaurants, WSJ said. The New York Times reported Google’s cost was about $2.5 billion a year, $1 billion more annually than DirecTV was paying.

Although Amazon streams Thursday Night Football, it has a deal with DirecTV that allows the satellite provider to offer these football telecasts in bars and restaurants. Amazon is said to be paying the NFL $1 billion per year to be the exclusive home for Thursday Night Football games this fall and for the next decade.

Unlike the Amazon deal, which streams its games on Amazon-owned Prime Video and Twitch platforms, Sunday Ticket does not stop you from watching your local CBS or Fox Sunday broadcasts on TV.

Like DirecTV, YouTube TV is a live television service and offers all the major local channels including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as the NFL Network. While Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV won’t let you get the games that air on streaming services like Amazon or ESPN Plus, it could make Google’s television service the go-to destination for those looking to stream nearly all the NFL action in the years ahead.

It’s unclear what Google might charge for Sunday Ticket. For a full season, DirecTV has previously priced the service at roughly $300 for the base Sunday Ticket package, or $400 for a «Max» version that included extra channels such as a DirecTV-exclusive version of NFL RedZone.

YouTube TV currently makes the NFL Network’s very similar version of RedZone available as an add-on for an extra $11 per month.

The NFL partnership is Google’s latest expansion into professional sports. Google has previously had exclusive streams of regular-season Wednesday MLB games available for free on YouTube. YouTube TV, meanwhile, has been featured as a title sponsor for major sporting events like the World Series and NBA Finals. It also has said it plans to make the NBA’s out-of-market League Pass service available on YouTube Primetime Channels.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Jan. 13, #1669

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Jan. 13, No. 1,669.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky, and it might make you hungry. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with O.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a spicy Cajun stew popular in New Orleans.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GUMBO.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Jan. 12, No. 1,668 was TRIAL.

Recent Wordle answers

Jan. 8, No. 1,664: BLAST

Jan. 9, No. 1,665: EIGHT

Jan. 10, No. 1,666: MANIC

Jan. 11, No. 1,667: QUARK

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 13 #681

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 13, No. 681.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

It took me a while to figure out the theme for today’s NYT Strands puzzle, but once I did, I thought it was a fun one. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: You need to chill

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Brrrr!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GONE, ABLE, TABLE, FOOD, TEEN, LEAF, GOOF, GOOD, SAFE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: