DirecTV is offering free NFL Sunday Ticket — but there's a catch
New DirecTV subscribers can get $400 back to cover NFL Sunday Ticket
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that DirecTV Stream customers were also eligible for this offer. This has been changed to reflect that DirecTV via internet customers with a Gemini device, rather than DirecTV Stream customers, are the ones eligible for the promotion.
YouTube TV may be the new home of NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2023-24 NFL Season, but it’s not the only TV provider offering you a chance to watch every out-of-market NFL regular season game.
Between now and October 2, 2023, new DirecTV customers, via a satellite dish or via home internet with a Gemini device, can get NFL Sunday Ticket for free. Or, more accurately, DirecTV is offering to reimburse you for your subscription in the form of a Visa prepaid debit card (or two).
It’s important to note that $400 will only pay for an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription. If you want to add NFL RedZone, you'll also want to add the DirecTV Sports Pack, which includes NFL RedZone. This is currently available as a three-month free trial and then an additional $14.99 a month after your trial expires.
Here’s how the offer works. First, you need to sign up for a DirecTV via satellite dish or via home internet with a Gemini device package. You can sign up for any of DirecTV’s packages (the same on both platforms, starting at $75 per month): Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier. You’ll need to sign up for a 24-month contract to be eligible for the offer, which is limited to new customers only.
During the signup process, you’ll need to select the offer for the $400 prepaid Visa debit card. If you do that, then DirecTV will send you two emails with redemption instructions for the offer so you can get those prepaid debit cards on their way to you within three billing cycles.
Now here’s the catch — you’ll also need to sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket and pay for it, separately. You can’t actually use the prepaid debit cards to cover your subscription price. And it has to be through YouTube Primetime Channels, which is more expensive than getting Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV.
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Of course, given you just signed up for 24 months of DirecTV, you’re not going to want to also subscribe to YouTube TV as you already have a live TV provider. So while this caveat is potentially annoying, it is logical.
How to redeem DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket offer
Once you’re signed up for a DirecTV package with the NFL Sunday Ticket offer selected and signed up for NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels, go to https://www.directv-rewardcenter.com. Here, you can upload your proof of purchase for NFL Sunday Ticket. Alternatively, you can email maketheswitch@directv-rewards.com or send a U.S. mail letter to DIRECTV Switcher PO Box 1250, Milan, IL 61264-1250.
Once DirecTV has received your proof of purchase and verified it, you’ll receive two reward notification emails with instructions for claiming your reward via the DirecTV Reward Center — https://www.directv-rewardcenter.com. These emails will come within six weeks of your DirecTV service being activated. Once you receive those emails, you have 75 days from the date of send to redeem your reward through DirecTV’s reward center.
After you’ve successfully redeemed your reward offer, DirecTV will send the Visa prepaid debit cards within three weeks. Now, here’s one more catch — you only have six months to spend your $400. After that, the cards expire. Maybe use it to get yourself one of our best TVs so you can give your Sunday football-watching experience a boost.
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Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.
Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.