The U.S. Division of Justice has opened an investigation into the NFL over potential anticompetitive techniques, a authorities official informed CNBC. The investigation stems from questions on “affordability for customers and creating a good taking part in discipline for suppliers,” the official mentioned.
The federal government’s investigation comes because the NFL is seeking to renegotiate media rights offers with its broadcast networks sooner than beforehand deliberate, CNBC beforehand reported. The league can be reportedly contemplating an even bigger bundle of video games with streaming big Netflix.
In a press release to CNBC, the league known as its media distribution mannequin “probably the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in your entire sports activities and leisure business,” and mentioned that greater than 87% of NFL video games are on free, broadcast TV.
Groups are all the time proven on broadcast networks of their native markets, no matter whether or not video games are airing on cable TV or streaming-only.
“The NFL has for many years put our followers entrance and heart in how we distribute our content material. The 2025 season was our most considered since 1989 and displays the power of the NFL distribution mannequin and its large availability to all followers,” the league mentioned.
The Wall Road Journal earlier reported the DOJ probe.
Final week, Fox Corp., which owns a bundle of Sunday NFL video games, and Sinclair, proprietor of affiliate stations, raised an analogous challenge with the Federal Communications Fee. The media firms had reportedly informed the FCC that sports activities should not be allowed behind paywalls — resembling unique streaming offers — because it means greater prices for customers and additional points for legacy TV.
As the price of sports activities media rights have skyrocketed, so, too, have the prices for customers to look at, by way of more and more piecemealed media packages that may require a number of subscriptions in addition to worth hikes for these companies.
The NFL is at the moment within the midst of an 11-year, $111 billion media rights settlement that lasts by means of the 2033-34 season with broadcast networks CBS, NBC and Fox, in addition to Disney’s ESPN and Amazon’s Prime Video.
Nonetheless, the league is starting to renegotiate its offers with broadcast companions, which might see elevated income for the league and would remove an opt-out clause after the 2029-2030 season, guaranteeing an extended runway for the video games to stay with their present broadcast companions.
All main sports activities leagues within the U.S. have seen an analogous divvying up of video games throughout conventional TV and streaming platforms, however the NFL, with the shortest schedule, nonetheless has the very best focus of video games on broadcast TV.
Not too long ago the NFL started renewal talks with Paramount Skydance’s CBS for a deal that might preserve a bundle of Sunday video games on the printed community, CNBC beforehand reported. CBS at the moment pays roughly $2.1 billion a 12 months, and a possible enhance on account of the renewed negotiations may see the community pay greater than $3 billion within the subsequent deal, CNBC reported.
Whereas stay sports activities, particularly the NFL, garner the very best rankings for linear TV, the league has entered into varied streaming-only agreements in an effort to succeed in customers with out conventional TV packages.
Amazon’s Prime Video is the unique residence of Thursday Night time Soccer, and in the previous few years Netflix has been the host of Christmas Day video games. The league has additionally signed one-off unique streaming offers for sure video games, together with the playoffs, with the streaming counterparts of legacy media firms like NBC’s Peacock.
Throughout a 2024 CNBC x Boardroom Recreation Plan occasion, NFL Govt Vice President of Media Distribution Hans Schroeder mentioned the rising significance of streaming for the league’s future. On the time he famous the league’s Wild Card recreation that aired solely on Peacock as “probably the most transformative second” in recent times.
— CNBC’s Jessica Golden contributed to this report.
