NFL RedZone and NFL Sunday Ticket sound like two versions of the same thing. They aren't. RedZone is one channel that jumps between games to show the big moments. Sunday Ticket gives you whole out-of-market games, from kickoff to the final whistle. This guide explains what each one shows, where to get them, what they cost, and which one fits how you watch.
Last checked: November 3, 2026. Prices are rounded and before taxes; new-subscriber offers are marked as such. Sports packages change every season, so check the provider's page before you pay.
The short answer
NFL RedZone is a live channel that shows every touchdown from the Sunday afternoon games, switching between them as teams near the end zone. You don't see full games. It's usually an add-on of around $10 to $15 a month.
NFL Sunday Ticket shows full Sunday afternoon games that aren't on your local channels. It's sold only through YouTube and YouTube TV, from about $240 for the season at the new-subscriber price.
Pick RedZone if you follow the whole league or play fantasy football. Pick Sunday Ticket if your team plays outside your area and you want its out-of-market Sunday afternoon games in full.
RedZone vs Sunday Ticket at a glance
| NFL RedZone | NFL Sunday Ticket | |
|---|---|---|
| What you watch | Highlights and live scoring plays from many games at once | Complete games, start to finish |
| When | Sunday afternoons, regular season | Sunday afternoons, regular season |
| Which games | All the Sunday afternoon games, in short bursts | Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games only |
| Your local team's game | Shown in moments, like any other game | Not included (it's on your local CBS or FOX station) |
| Thursday, Sunday night and Monday night games | No | No |
| Playoffs | No | No |
| Where to get it | Many TV providers, YouTube TV, NFL+ Premium | YouTube and YouTube TV only |
| Typical cost | About $10 to $15 a month as an add-on | From about $240 a season (new subscribers) |
What NFL RedZone is
NFL RedZone is a channel produced by the NFL. On Sunday afternoons in the regular season, it follows all the games at once and cuts live to whichever one is about to score. The NFL describes it as every touchdown from every game, and it runs for about seven hours, with host Scott Hanson guiding you between games.
A few things people often get wrong:
- It isn't full games. You see drives that reach scoring range, touchdowns and key moments. When only one game is left late in the afternoon, RedZone usually stops and points you to the channel showing it.
- It now has some ads. RedZone was famous for having no commercials. Since the 2025 season it has carried short ad breaks, according to reporting on the channel.
- It isn't NFL Network. NFL Network is a 24-hour channel with shows, news and a few live games. RedZone exists only on Sunday afternoons in the regular season.
- It isn't the "red zone" on the field. That's the area inside the opponent's 20-yard line, which is where the channel gets its name.
- It isn't DIRECTV's old "Red Zone Channel." DIRECTV ran a similar channel of its own, which ended in early 2023. The one you can buy now is the NFL's.
Games on Thursday nights, Sunday nights, Monday nights, Saturdays, Thanksgiving and in the playoffs aren't part of RedZone.
What NFL Sunday Ticket is
NFL Sunday Ticket gives you the Sunday afternoon games that aren't shown on your local channels, in full. It's for fans whose team plays somewhere else, like a Packers fan living in Texas.
What it leaves out matters just as much:
- Your local games. Games on your local CBS or FOX station aren't in Sunday Ticket. You watch those on the local channel, free with an antenna.
- National and primetime games. Thursday, Sunday night and Monday night games, and other games shown nationally, aren't included.
- Digital-only and international games. YouTube excludes select games streamed by one service only, such as Thursday games on Amazon Prime Video, and international games.
- Preseason and playoff games. If you buy Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV, those still come through YouTube TV's local and national channels. Bought on its own through YouTube, Sunday Ticket includes neither.
- Bars and restaurants. The home version is for personal use only. Businesses use a separate service.
As the NFL schedules more national and standalone games, fewer games are left for Sunday Ticket on a given Sunday. During Thanksgiving week, for example, the Sunday afternoon slate is smaller.
Where to get NFL RedZone
| Where | How you get RedZone | Price |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | "NFL RedZone with Sports Plus" add-on, or in a Sunday Ticket bundle | About $11 a month on top of a YouTube TV plan (the main plan is about $83; smaller plans with locals start lower) |
| DIRECTV | In its top package, or a sports add-on | Sports add-ons about $14 to $15 a month |
| NFL+ Premium | Included, in the NFL app | About $15 a month or $100 a season on its own, or about $10 a month as an add-on if you already have the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle |
| Other TV providers | Usually a sports tier or add-on | Varies |
The NFL lists Cox, DISH, Fios, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Sling, Spectrum, Xfinity and YouTube TV among its RedZone partners. Each one puts RedZone in a different tier, so check your provider's sports package.
Before you sign up:
- YouTube TV's base plan doesn't include RedZone. You need the Sports Plus add-on or a Sunday Ticket bundle.
- NFL+ Premium streams RedZone in the NFL app, not in the Disney+ app, and the NFL+ service is for the US only.
- RedZone on NFL+ Premium works on supported TVs and streaming devices. The phone-and-tablet-only rule applies to NFL+'s live local and primetime full games, not to RedZone.
How to get NFL Sunday Ticket
Sunday Ticket is sold only by YouTube. You can buy it with a YouTube TV subscription or on its own through YouTube.
| Season pass | New subscribers (offer price) | Returning subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| With YouTube TV (the YouTube TV plan costs extra) | About $240 a season | About $380 a season |
| On YouTube, without YouTube TV | About $240 a season | About $480 a season |
A few details from YouTube's own page:
- You can add RedZone at checkout in a Sunday Ticket bundle.
- Monthly installments spread the season price over several payments. They're a commitment to the full season: the payments can't be cancelled, and they aren't offered in every state.
- A month-to-month subscription is a different option. You can cancel it between billing periods. Check YouTube's page for the current monthly price.
- If you cancel YouTube TV, you lose the Sunday Ticket you bought with it.
YouTube has offered lower prices to some groups, such as students, in past seasons. Those offers change each year, so check YouTube's page for the current one.
You'll still see Sunday Ticket on DIRECTV's NFL page, but it's now a separate YouTube TV purchase.
How people actually use them
Readers in forum and video comments described setups like these:
- Local game on the TV, RedZone on a second screen. If your team is local, you watch its game in full and keep RedZone on a laptop or tablet for everything else.
- RedZone on bye weeks. When your team isn't playing, RedZone fills the afternoon.
- Sunday Ticket for a distant team, RedZone for the rest. Fans who live far from their team often keep both.
One cost tip: RedZone ends with the regular season. If you pay for it monthly, as with YouTube TV's add-on, cancel once the regular season ends so you aren't charged for a month with no RedZone.
Which one should you get?
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Play fantasy football or love the league as a whole | RedZone |
| Live away from your team and want its out-of-market Sunday afternoon games in full | Sunday Ticket |
| Mostly watch your local team | Neither. Its locally televised Sunday afternoon games are on CBS and FOX, free with an antenna |
| Want both full games and the whip-around | Sunday Ticket with RedZone in a bundle |
| Care about playoff games | Neither covers them. Playoffs air on broadcast TV and other services |
Common questions
Can I watch full games on RedZone?
No. RedZone jumps between games. For a full game, watch it on your local channel or through Sunday Ticket if it's out of market.
Does Sunday Ticket include RedZone?
Not by default. You can add it in a bundle when you buy Sunday Ticket on YouTube.
Can I buy only RedZone?
Not as a standalone channel from the NFL. You get it through a TV provider's sports add-on, a YouTube TV add-on or NFL+ Premium.
Does Sunday Ticket show my local team?
Not when the game is on your local CBS or FOX station. Those games are left out because you can already watch them locally.
Is RedZone commercial-free?
Not anymore. It has carried short ad breaks since the 2025 season.
Does Sunday Ticket include playoff games?
No. Playoff games air on broadcast and other national channels. YouTube TV carries the ones on its channels, but Sunday Ticket on its own doesn't.
Why is Sunday Ticket more expensive the second year?
YouTube charges new subscribers an offer price. Returning subscribers pay the higher regular price.