Analysis: Streaming NFL Games Less Expensive Than Pay-TV Bundles

Streaming has made watching the full NFL season significantly more affordable than traditional pay-TV bundles, according to new analysis from LightShed Partners.

Fans can now access all 272 NFL games this season for as little as ~$600 — roughly under $3 per game — by using a combination of a la carte streaming services. Even lower-cost options exist: $217 using an antenna for local games plus national broadcasts, or under $400 entirely through streaming. 

A full a la carte streaming bundle costs about $618, while skinnier bundles from virtual pay-TV services like YouTube TV or DirecTV run around $806. All of these options are substantially cheaper than the average traditional pay-TV bundle, which costs about $1,005 on Charter’s Spectrum.

🏈2026 Costs (per LightShed Partners analysis) All 272 games: 

• As low as ~$600 total (~$3 per game) via a la carte streaming services.
• Without Sunday Ticket (local + national games): $217 with antenna or under $400 via streaming.
• A la carte streaming bundle: ~$618.
• Skinny virtual pay-TV bundles (e.g., YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream): ~$806.
• Traditional pay-TV benchmark (e.g., Charter Spectrum): ~$1,005.These figures reflect greater fragmentation but also more consumer choice through unbundled options.

“Yes, NFL games are now spread across more services than ever,” analysts Richard Greenfield, Brandon Ross, and Mark Kelley at LightShed Partners wrote. “But streaming competition has splintered the old cable bundle, giving consumers the ability to pay only for what they want. The $1,000-to-watch-the-NFL figure being thrown around by President Trump, regulators, and members of Congress is not grounded in reality.”

The analysis arrives amid a heated political debate over sports rights migrating to streaming platforms like Netflix. President Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr have criticized the rising complexity and perceived high costs of streaming NFL games. The FCC has launched a probe into major sports rights deals, and in response to the agency’s request for comments, the NAB and major broadcasters have highlighted the complexity and expense for consumers.

The NFL has pushed back in meetings with FCC staff, arguing that its current distribution of media rights benefits fans and local broadcasters, and that ending the league’s antitrust exemption would lead to higher costs and confusion.

To be fair, watching the NFL is more complicated than it used to be, as no single service has everything. 

However, consumers now have real choice. For those willing to navigate multiple apps, the savings are meaningful. The analysts note that before 2023, the only way to watch every NFL game was through DirecTV with a satellite dish — unless a consumer could prove it wouldn’t work at their location. Streaming, they conclude, has been unambiguously pro-consumer.