The NFL is actively exploring deals to sell live game rights to non-traditional media companies and digital platforms, beyond its core broadcast and streaming partners.
NFL Media chief Hans Schroeder told CNBC Sport on Friday that the league will hold conversations with interested parties, including those who are smaller partners or emerging players in the media space wanting to become NFL live game partners."We're going to have those conversations," Schroeder said from Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LX in San Francisco.
"We want to understand all our options and how to think about the best model for us, for our fans, for our teams going forward."
He described the high level of interest as fortunate and said the league will listen carefully to potential suitors.
Schroeder did not name specific companies, but the move builds on prior experiments like last season's sale of a Week 1 game to YouTube for about $100 million—a one-off approach that could be repeated.
— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) February 6, 2026
He highlighted the shift to streaming, noting that major digital platforms now reach broadcast-level audiences, creating more "optionality" compared to traditional TV, which has long been the league's preferred model due to its broad reach.
The NFL's current media partners—Disney, Paramount Global, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Amazon—are expected to begin talks later this year on new rights deals, four years ahead of the existing agreement's opt-out clause, according to people familiar with the matter. Schroeder supported Commissioner Roger Goodell's earlier comments that the league is open to early discussions.
The league is also expanding internationally, planning a record nine games next season. Schroeder said the NFL may sell a new package of some international games to a media partner as early as next year, calling it one of the options under consideration.