Apple TV Gains Updated NFL Channel With Game Pass Integration

Monday August 31, 2015 12:51 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The Apple TV's existing NFL Now channel was today revamped, changing the name to "NFL" and adding support for Game Pass subscriptions. Through the updated channel, NFL fans who have a Game Pass subscription can watch on-demand NFL games and live out-of-market preseason games on the Apple TV for the first time.

In late July, the NFL did away with its existing NFL Game Rewind program, which previously gave customers in the United States access to on-demand NFL games after they aired on broadcast television. Game Rewind was replaced with Game Pass, with access being added to the Apple TV and the NFL Mobile app on the iPhone and the iPad.

nfl_game_pass_main
The prior NFL Now channel that was on the Apple TV was limited to historic videos, breaking news, and game highlights rather than complete games as the NFL's contracts with television providers have previously prevented it from showing full game content on the television through the Apple TV.

Game Pass includes live access to most out-of-market preseason games, aside from those that are nationally broadcast, plus on-demand regular season, playoff, and Super Bowl games that are available after they air on broadcast television.

Game Pass is available in the United States, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths (including American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), and Mexico. An NFL Game Pass subscription is priced at $99.99 and access to content will last until July 31, 2016.

nfl_game_pass
NFL fans outside of the United States also have access to an international "Game Pass" service that offers up live games and on-demand content, which confusingly shares the same name as the new service available in the United States.

(Thanks, Dale!)

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 13
Tags: NFL, NFL Game Pass
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
[ 131 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
RDeckard
57 months ago
Yay! Live regular season games!

Oh wait - they're replays. No thanks.
Rating: 26 Votes
Avatar
yanki01
57 months ago
Someone give me the $100 and i'll tell you the score.
Rating: 16 Votes
Avatar
Enoch_Root
57 months ago
I'm floored at how the NFL insists upon screwing over its fans. MLB is *light years* ahead in terms of customer experience with MLB.TV. Greed wins out, simply put.
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
BrownManUPS
57 months ago
Now for the kicker... if I change my location settings and Apple settings to those of the UK, can I get access to the much better Game Pass that has live streaming of games in real time?
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Enoch_Root
57 months ago

Just the Apple way. Give you part of something, call it ground breaking, charge the heck out of you and then next year give a little more so they can do it all over again....all the while never providing what others have provided for years at a lower price.


The NFL makes their pricing policies, not Apple.


Thank you.

And Apple is the King of Greed.


Not relevant to this discussion. The NFL is selling you a loaf of day old bread and claiming it's 'fresh!' They're the ones retaining exclusivity to their overpriced Sunday Ticket, not Apple. MLB is light years beyond the NFL in terms of fan friendly access to their LIVE content. I pay $25 a month in-season for MLB.TV, which gives me access to both H/A HD broadcasts of every.single.game on my iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, PS3, Amazon Fire. I cut the cord a few years ago, and MLB was right there with me. This year the HD is friggin' pristine. There's zero drop-off.

The NFL *chooses* how they stream its content to you. It chooses to bend you over the barrel and call it a date. They're the greedy bastards, specific to this instance, not Apple.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
TheRealTVGuy
57 months ago
This is GREAT! It's soo much easier to wager on games when they're ALREADY OVER AND DONE WITH.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
gtstricky
57 months ago
No live games? Well heck. That is almost worth.... nope, not worth anything.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
acm1108
57 months ago
Why would I want to watch old regular season games?
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Teh Don Ditty
57 months ago

And a foreign credit card...


That's false. I use my US credit card without any issues.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
nickkrumors
57 months ago

Is this US only? I can't access my International GamePass subscription on it


Thats what we were just talking about. It appears on international Apple TVs as well, but currently people's logins do not work. Were hoping it comes soon
Rating: 2 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]