Get Grooven At A Glance
- A new agreement with EverPass Media gives DIRECTV for Business customers access to NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, ESPN+, MLB Extra Innings, and NHL Center Ice through one provider.
- DIRECTV for Business also carries new Apple TV programming, including Formula 1, MLS Season Pass, and Friday Night Baseball.
- Prime Video Sports on DIRECTV for Business has grown to include NBA League Pass, WNBA games, Thursday Night Football, and NASCAR.
- UEFA Champions League and Peacock Sports Pass round out the expanded lineup, giving properties more global and on-demand sports options.
- Hotels can use this wider sports lineup to fill bars, restaurants, and common areas with residents and guests on game day.
DIRECTV for Business Adds a Full Slate of New Sports Options for 2026
In a 2026 survey of hotel guests, 35 percent said they would switch hotels for access to live sports networks, and 33 percent said they would pay more for a room that offers them. That kind of pull is exactly why so many properties lean on live sports to bring people together. For 2026, DIRECTV for Business has expanded what it offers considerably, adding new streaming packages, satellite channels, and a broader relationship with EverPass Media that brings back some fan favorites.
This growth matters for any property that uses DIRECTV for Business to keep guests entertained. Below, we break down what changed, what is new, and how hotels, motels, and resorts can put the expanded lineup to work.
What the New EverPass Agreement Adds
DIRECTV is now the Preferred National Distributor for EverPass Media, the company that holds commercial distribution rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. As a result, DIRECTV for Business customers can access NFL Sunday Ticket alongside NFL RedZone, ESPN+, MLB Extra Innings, and NHL Center Ice, all through a single commercial provider rather than juggling separate accounts. Businesses that subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2025-2026 season renew automatically for 2026-2027, and new subscribers can sign up directly through their DIRECTV for Business representative.
Since the agreement covers EverPass’s full slate of streaming products, it also opens the door to other EverPass packages. Ultimately, one agreement now unlocks a much wider mix of premium sports content than DIRECTV for Business offered on its own last season.
Apple TV Sports Expand the Streaming Lineup
Alongside the EverPass agreement, DIRECTV for Business has added several Apple TV Sports channels to its lineup. Formula 1 racing, MLS Season Pass, and Friday Night Baseball are now available to eligible business packages, giving properties a broader mix of international and seasonal sports beyond the usual football and basketball rotation.
Friday Night Baseball, in particular, gives properties two live weekly games during baseball season. It is included in packages that already carry ESPN, so many properties may already have access without adding a separate subscription. In addition, MLS Season Pass adds every regular-season match, along with the Leagues Cup and MLS Cup Playoffs, which is a meaningful addition for properties near markets with strong soccer followings or a growing international guest base.
Prime Video Sports Grows on DIRECTV for Business
Prime Video Sports has also expanded on DIRECTV for Business. Properties now have access to NBA League Pass, WNBA games, Thursday Night Football, and NASCAR races, all under the same Prime Video sports umbrella. Thursday Night Football alone gives properties a second weekly NFL game night beyond Sunday and Monday, which stretches football season engagement across more days of the week. Meanwhile, WNBA coverage and NASCAR races round out a lineup that reaches a wider range of sports fans than football coverage alone.
UEFA Champions League and Peacock Sports Pass Round Out the Lineup
Two more additions give properties even more variety. UEFA Champions League matches are now included at no extra cost for DIRECTV for Business customers with a base package, bringing top European club soccer to properties that already carry the standard channel lineup. Since UEFA Champions League games often air on weekday afternoons and evenings, they can fill viewing hours that fall outside the typical weekend sports rush.
Peacock Sports Pass, meanwhile, is one of the EverPass streaming packages now available through DIRECTV for Business, giving properties another way to add marquee sports and events without a separate provider relationship. Together, these two additions mean properties can offer year-round global sports coverage, not just the familiar football and basketball seasons.
What This Means for Hotel Bars and Restaurants
A hotel bar or restaurant with this expanded lineup can offer something for nearly every kind of sports fan, every night of the week, not just Sundays during football season. More live games on more nights gives guests a reason to linger over dinner, order another round, and come back the following week rather than looking elsewhere for the game.
For hotel bars specifically, expanded sports access has already shown measurable results in food and beverage revenue and repeat guest visits. Access to live football in particular carries weight with guests beyond the bar, since live sports access can influence which hotel a traveler books in the first place, not only how they spend their evening once they arrive. Adding Formula 1, soccer, baseball, and international coverage on top of the existing DIRECTV lineup for hotels gives properties even more chances to turn a slow weeknight into a busy one.
A Bigger Sports Lineup Means More Reasons for Guests and Residents to Gather
With the EverPass agreement that expands sports coverage with new Apple TV programming, expanded Prime Video Sports, UEFA Champions League, and Peacock Sports Pass, DIRECTV for Business now offers one of its broadest sports lineups in recent years. That means more nights when your hotel bar or lobby stays full, with more sports programming available through the same DIRECTV for Business relationship you already use.
If your hospitality property wants help sorting through which packages make sense for your guests or residents, reach out to Groove and we can walk through the options together.
FAQs on DIRECTV for Business Sports
DIRECTV for Business added several new sports options for 2026, including Apple TV’s Formula 1 racing, MLS Season Pass, and Friday Night Baseball, along with expanded Prime Video Sports coverage of the NBA, WNBA, Thursday Night Football, and NASCAR. UEFA Champions League and Peacock Sports Pass rounded out the additions, giving properties a wider mix of global and year-round sports programming than in previous seasons.
Yes. DIRECTV for Business is now the Preferred National Distributor for NFL Sunday Ticket through a new multi-year agreement with EverPass Media, starting with the 2026 NFL season. Properties that subscribed for the 2025-2026 season renew automatically, and new subscribers can sign up through their DIRECTV for Business representative.
Peacock Sports Pass is available to DIRECTV for Business customers as one of the EverPass streaming packages included under the new distribution agreement. It gives properties another source of marquee sports and events alongside the channels already included in their base package.
