Mobile carrier Verizon had such good luck with NFL Sunday Ticket last year that it’s bringing discount packages back for football fans for the 2024-25 season. The only problem is that what you exactly get – and give up – isn’t so easy.
Jared Newman, CordCutterWeekly, dove into this year’s version of the promotion and found some nuances that you need to know about if you want to take advantage of it.
Who you have to be and what you have to do
If you’re a new Verizon home interent customer, you’ll score a free year of Sunday Ticket by signing up for one of three plans:
1 Gbps or higher Fios
5G Home Plus
LTE Home Plus
If you’re a new Verizon mobile customer (or an existing one that’s adding a new line), you’ll get a free year of Sunday Ticket on Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plans when purchasing a select phone.
If you’re an existingmobile customer and you upgrade to a new phone, you’ll get a free year of Sunday Ticket if you sign up for a:
3-year contract
Unlimited Plus or
Unlimited Ultimate plan
Newman added that other Verizon customers get $100 off Sunday Ticket through Verizon’s +play marketplace.
"Note that the Verizon plans with free Sunday Ticket are more expensive than the ones that aren’t, and if you want a discounted phone, you’ll be locking yourself into Verizon for three years. Do the math on whether it’s worthwhile before signing up," Newman advises.
Need a phone upgrade with another carrier? Streaming deals there, too
While Verizon may have the newest streaming-related deal, Newman reminds consumers that they’re not by their lonesome. Here’s what their competitors are doing:
T-Mobile/Sprint
Netflix for free (T-Mobile only):
Standard with Ads (1080p video, two streams, $7 per month value) with multi-line Magenta and Go5G plans.
Single line plans are also eligible with Magenta Max, Go5G Plus, and Go5G Next.
Can be upgraded to higher Netflix tiers at a discount
See T-Mobile’s website for instructions on how to redeem
Hulu on-demand for free ($8-per-month value):
Available on T-Mobile Go5G Next plans and Sprint Unlimited plans.
“Most” T-Mobile Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX and T-Mobile ONE Plus customers are also eligible.
Sprint customers can upgrade to ad-free for an additional charge
Redeem through the Sprint or T-Mobile websites, or dial 611 to check availability.
Apple TV+ for free ($10-per-month value):
Available with T-Mobile Magenta Max, Go5G Next or Go5G Plus plans, or with Sprint Max plan
Magenta and Sprint One plans get six months instead
Redeem through T-Mobile or Sprint
AT&T
“AT&T has stopped offering free HBO Max with its current wireless plans, but if you have an older AT&T unlimited data plan, you may still be able to get HBO Max at no charge,” Newman says, then offered what current AT&T plans will work if you want to get access to HBO Max at no extra charge.
AT&T Unlimited Elite
AT&T Unlimited Plus
AT&T Unlimited Plus Enhanced
AT&T Unlimited Choice
AT&T Unlimited Choice II
AT&T Unlimited Choice Enhanced
AT&T Unlimited &More Premium
To double-check which plan you have, just sign into AT&T’s “plan management” page.