The NFL is calling out DirecTV for what it considers “deceptive advertising,” alleging that the satellite TV provider is misleading consumers about where they can access Sunday Ticket.
DirecTV had the rights to Sunday Ticket for decades, but those rights shifted to YouTube and YouTube TV this year as part of a seven-year deal with the NFL worth an estimated $14 billion. Since Aug. 7, however, DirectTV has been running an ad campaign with Travis Kelce in which the Kansas City Chiefs star tells viewers they’re “watching football wrong” and that DirecTV “gives you access to every game.” Only in the fine print does it clarify that viewers can watch those games not on DirecTV itself but through Gemini, DirecTV's streaming device, and only if they have a “separate paid subscription for third party apps”—i.e., YouTube or YouTube TV.