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- DOJ says investigation is about “affordability and creating an even playing field for providers”
- NFL defends media distribution model, calling it “fan and broadcaster-friendly”
- Forbes has estimated that watching every game last season cost around US$765
The National Football League (NFL) is under investigation by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether its broadcast contracts violate anticompetitive practices, forcing fans to pay too much in subscription fees to watch games.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first reported the investigation had been opened earlier this week. A government official has since confirmed the investigation to ABC News, stating that it focuses on “affordability and creating an even playing field for providers”.
The NFL’s 11-year, US$110 billion deals with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC expire in 2032. Christmas Day games air on Netflix and some international games are also shown on NFL Network, which was acquired by ESPN earlier this year as part of a US$3 billion deal. Additionally, some postseason games require subscriptions, and the NFL has previously awarded select fixtures to streaming services ESPN+ and Peacock.
As well as its national broadcast deals, all NFL games are available for free on local networks within the teams’ home markets.
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 provides limited protections for the NFL, allowing leagues to pool broadcast rights across all their teams and sign league-wide exclusive contracts with national networks. The act also includes a rule permitting blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the league.
The NFL ended local TV blackouts after the 2014 season, which had applied to games within 75 miles of a team’s market if they did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff.
However, there have been questions about the Sports Broadcasting Act’s applicability in the current media landscape. In a letter to the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last month, US senator Mike Lee called for a review of whether the NFL’s distribution methods comply with the act. Lee noted in his letter that fans now spend nearly US$1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions.
Forbes estimated that watching every NFL game last season cost around US$765.
In a statement to ABC News, the NFL defended its distribution model.
‘The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,’ it said.
‘With over 87 per cent of our games on free, broadcast television, including 100 per cent of games in the markets of the competing teams, the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content.
‘The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans.’
Lee, meanwhile, welcomed the investigation.
‘The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption,’ Lee wrote in a post on X.
‘Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models.
‘To the extent collectively licensed game packages are placed behind subscription paywalls, these arrangements may no longer align with the statutory concept of sponsored telecasting or the consumer-access rationale underlying the antitrust exemption.
‘That’s why, as chair of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, I urged the DOJ to examine the Sports Broadcasting Act and its applicability to current media landscape. I’m glad they’re tackling this.’
The investigation comes as the NFL looks to renegotiate its domestic broadcast contracts. The league has an opt-out clause that takes effect in 2029, but it is eager to renegotiate sooner than that, potentially as early as the 2026 season.
The NFL believes its games are worth significantly more in the current media market, especially after the National Basketball Association (NBA) secured US$76 billion for its broadcast rights last year. The NFL is reportedly seeking an additional US$1 billion annually from Paramount for the rights to air live games on CBS on Sunday afternoons.
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