NFL, NBA Offering Video Services for Free During Sports Hiatus

NFL Game Pass and NBA League Pass are being offered for free to fans for a period of time.

The NFL and NBA are helping fans get through the current period without major sports, which all have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both leagues announced on Wednesday that their video services will be offered for free. On the platforms, fans will have complimentary access to watch past games, highlights and documentaries.

NFL Game Pass was the first service to announce the initiative. Starting on Thursday and running through May 31, the video platform will be available for free to fans in the U.S. across multiple platforms and devices.

Among the perks, NFL Game Pass will offer replays of regular and postseason games between the 2009 and 2019 seasons. Footage will be offered at full-length and in condensed 45-minute replays among different camera angles. Fans can also watch 2019 episodes of "NFL RedZone" along with the NFL Films series "Hard Knocks," "Mic'd Up" and "A Football Life."

NBC Sports will also be re-airing classic Sunday Night Football games from March 30 through April 5. 

The NBA and Turner Sports shortly followed the NFL in offering their service, NBA League Pass, for free to fans. The subscription-based video platform will be offered as a "preview" until April 22, the league announced.

Through NBA League Pass, fans can view all games from the 2019-20 season at either full-length or condensed replays. An "expansive archive" of classic games and content will also be made available.

To sign up for NFL Game Pass, fans can create an account on the platform's website or on the NFL app. To redeem the NBA League Pass offer, fans can log into their account on NBA.com or the NBA app.

The NBA season was suspended at least 30 days in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Seven NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19, including most recently Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, the NFL is its offseason and has begun its free agency period.