NFL: Fans Are Already On Other Platforms

The fragmentation of NFL game broadcasts across more than a dozen services is frustrating fans and hitting their wallets hard, prompting a DOJ investigation into the league’s media deals.

According to estimates cited by the FCC, fans wanting to watch every game in the 2025 season may have needed to spend upward of $1,500. That’s because games aired on 10 different services, with 20 regular-season matchups and one playoff game available only as streaming exclusives. Local market availability did not reduce the overall burden. The NFL and other major leagues enjoy antitrust exemptions for negotiating television rights. 

However, lawmakers argue that the surge in streaming has created an undue burden on consumers. 

Roger Goodell

The DOJ probe is shining a light on the NFL’s distribution strategy and could signal similar reviews for other leagues. Free over-the-air broadcasters face increasing competition as streamers aggressively pursue sports content after largely avoiding it until recently. High-profile games—season openers, holiday matchups, and key playoffs—that were once guaranteed on free TV are now increasingly behind paywalls.

The NFL has diversified its model by bypassing traditional broadcast networks for deals with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, capitalizing on strong demand for its content. The league maintains it is simply meeting fans where they are.

“We think broadcast networks have been an incredible home,” NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distribution Hans Schroeder told reporters. “And now we also know fans are increasingly spending their time on other platforms as well.”

He added that the league wants to remain on broadcast while placing a limited number of games on platforms where fans already spend time.