Groove Ensures Hotel Partners Keep NFL Sunday Ticket Access with DIRECTV and EverPass Agreement
The multi-year deal keeps live NFL programming — a proven factor in hotel guest retention — in place for Groove clients nationwide.
Groove Technology Solutions will continue distributing NFL Sunday Ticket to hotel partners via a new multi-year DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS and EverPass Media agreement, effective the 2026 NFL season.
Photo by DIRECTV
Groove Technology Solutions will continue to offer NFL Sunday Ticket to hotel partners nationwide through DIRECTV, with no disruptions to service, support, or the way properties currently work with Groove.
That continuity is now backed by a new multi-year agreement between DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® and EverPass Media, effective with the 2026 NFL season. Under the agreement, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS will serve as the commercial distribution partner for NFL Sunday Ticket, with and without NFL RedZone, and Preferred National Distributor for EverPass' streaming platforms across the United States.
As a leading Lodging & Institutions (L&I) Dealer for DIRECTV, Groove will continue to handle every part of the experience for its hotel partners, from installation to ongoing support. Properties that subscribed for the 2025-2026 season will automatically renew for 2026-2027 without needing to take any action.
Live Sports Impact a Hotel’s Bottom Line
Live sports access has become a measurable factor in where travelers choose to stay. Recent research from DIRECTV on traveler behavior found that 35 percent of travelers said they would switch hotels to gain access to live sports networks, a figure that puts real weight behind the NFL’s Sunday programming during football season.
"Hotels that can put every professional football game on screen give those guests a reason to stay on property instead of heading somewhere else. The agreement between DIRECTV and EverPass keeps that experience intact for the hotels we serve, and it does so without adding a new vendor or a new point of contact to their operation."
Lance Platt, President and CEO of Groove Technology Solutions
Under the agreement, hotels gain access to every out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular season NFL game through the same platform Groove already supports, giving properties a reliable draw during football season. The agreement also gives DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customers the option to subscribe to additional premium sports content on EverPass, accessible through streaming or satellite, providing more ways to show the live sports their guests want to watch. DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS will continue to offer one of the industry's most comprehensive commercial sports portfolios, including NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, ESPN+, MLB EXTRA INNINGS, NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, MLS Season Pass, and other premium sports programming.
Groove's in-house, U.S. based technicians will keep handling installation, account management, and support for DIRECTV alongside the Wi-Fi, phone systems, and other technology hotels depend on every day, all backed by the Groove Guarantee.
What Hotels Should Know About Public Viewing Pricing
Hotels that show NFL Sunday Ticket in shared spaces such as lobbies, bars, and lounges fall under DIRECTV's Public Viewing category. Pricing for that category is based on Fire Code Occupancy (FCO), which is verified through an FCO certificate issued by a local fire department, government office, or zoning agency. DIRECTV requires that documentation be on file before activating seasonal sports programming or pay-per-view events in a public viewing space.
Hotels with guest room only programming fall outside this requirement, since FCO applies specifically to shared, public-facing viewing areas. For properties with lobby bars, sports lounges, or other communal spaces, Groove helps operators understand which package tier applies and what documentation DIRECTV needs in order to activate the service.
Hotels interested in NFL Sunday Ticket through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS for the 2026-2027 season can contact a Groove Technology Solutions representative to learn more about pricing, installation timelines, and renewal details.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Groove Technology Solutions is a national provider of integrated property technology built for the hospitality industry. The company delivers comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for hotels, motels, and resorts, including managed TV, Wi-Fi, and phone services; smart building technologies; access control and security systems; and the infrastructure that connects it all, backed by its 24/7 in-house US-based technical support team.
Groove was named the DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® Hospitality & Institutions 2025 Dealer of the Year, and earned Top Renewal Properties West and Top Gross Additions West honors, recognition of its continued growth and performance among hospitality partners nationwide. Groove holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Groove's team of technology professionals brings deep hospitality expertise and hands-on, on-property experience to every project, from guest room connectivity to back-of-house systems, helping hotel and resort operators deliver a seamless guest experience while driving measurable results for their business.
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