NFL fans may need to shell out more cash to catch every game by 2026. Currently, the “NFL Sunday Ticket” on YouTube TV is priced in the hundreds, but it doesn’t cover all matches. To watch everything, fans would also have to subscribe to Amazon Prime, Peacock, or Netflix, pushing total expenses well over $1,500, and that’s not even factoring in internet or additional fees.
Brendan Carr, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has made it a priority to advocate for American sports fans as major leagues shift games from traditional cable channels to pricey streaming platforms. But he cautions that the NFL might lose its antitrust exemption if too many games are locked behind paywalls.
During a recent event in Washington, D.C., Carr raised an interesting question: “Can the NFL benefit from antitrust exemptions while negotiating streaming deals instead of sticking to traditional broadcasting?” He warned that there’s a tipping point; if too many games are paywalled, it could jeopardize the entire exemption.
A law from 1961 allows the NFL to negotiate collective TV contracts without breaching U.S. antitrust regulations, as long as it meets specific conditions. If the NFL loses this exemption, the consequences could be severe, especially if franchises start selling their broadcasting rights independently.
Moreover, Carr hinted at broader media implications by questioning why broadcasting stations shouldn’t also have the ability to negotiate collectively like NFL teams do.
FOX News Digital reached out to the NFL for comments, but there was no immediate response.
Last month, the FCC encouraged public input on the ongoing transition of live sports from traditional channels to streaming platforms. The window for comments is open until March 27, with responses due by April 13.
While Carr understands the frustrations over rising costs and the often cumbersome nature of accessing sports via streaming, he insists that the negatives typically overshadow the positives here. “It can be really irritating when you sit down to watch a specific game, only to realize you might need yet another subscription to catch it,” he noted in a previous conversation. He expressed a desire for a prosperous relationship between sports leagues and broadcasters, emphasizing that consumers benefit from continued access to free over-the-air sports programming.
