Latest YouTube TV updates improve video quality, NFL Sunday Ticket preseason, more

Ben Schoon | Aug 18 2023 - 1:34 pm PT

YouTube TV just announced its latest series of updates, including further preparation for NFL Sunday Ticket as well as improvements to video quality and more.

Announced on Reddit today, YouTube TV has seen a series of behind-the-scenes updates over the course of August so far, starting with more preparation for the debut of NFL Sunday Ticket. The major sports offering is set to make its formal debut alongside the NFL season on September 10, but some preseason games will act as a soft launch for the new systems.

YouTube TV will broadcast four preseason games this month, which will allow for user feedback ahead of the full launch. The games will be available to those who have signed up for the Sunday Ticket package.

Saturday, August 19 at 8 p.m. ET: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings and
Saturday, August 26 at 1 p.m. ET: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings

Beyond that, the update also mentioned Sunday Ticket’s new monthly billing option and billing through providers such as Verizon, Frontier, and others.

You can now sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket through Frontier, Verizon, WOW!, and Google Play Billing.

YouTube TV’s August updates also include other enhancements to video quality and bug fixes. YouTube explains that higher-quality 1080p broadcasts have been made available to “many users” with compatible VP9-capable devices. It’s also noted that NFL Sunday Ticket games will be broadcast based on 1080p feeds rather than 720p local broadcasts, with HDR and 4K in the pipeline.

…NFL Sunday Ticket games will have distinct source feeds broadcast in 1080p (a mix of native and upscaled) compared to 720p local broadcasts. We’re working with our partners to bring more 1080p HDR and 4K games to you in the future.

A new version of YouTube TV’s “Library” is also currently in testing with improvements to “Catch Up” and “Watch” indicators. 5.1 surround sound A/V sync should also be improved. Fixes for fast-forward/rewind on Samsung TVs and pause/resume on Amazon Fire TV Sticks are also in the works.