The NFL's decision to broadcast the Chiefs-Dolphins wild-card game exclusively on Peacock (requiring viewers to pay a subscription fee) received further backlash before the game, with Rep. Pat Ryan (N.Y.) writing a letter. He slammed the NFL and NBC. Addressed to Commissioner Roger Goodell and NBC Sports President Rick Cordella..
“It's a disgrace,” Ryan wrote in the letter. “Fans already face exorbitant fees to attend every game during the regular season. They don't deserve to be further squeezed out by greedy corporations.
“This bait-and-switch is especially egregious for consumers who already pay for NBC as part of their cable package. Peacock is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, so this exclusivity deal is, in effect, a replacement for consumers who already pay for NBC. We will be charging our loyal fans twice to watch the match.”
In a subsequent post about X, Ryan said called for a decision — worth $110 million — “BS” asked the league and networks to “let us watch this damn game.”
Cordella told The Post's Ryan Glaspiegel earlier this week that this is “not a pay-per-view.”
“You more or less get kids in the door with soccer and expose them to the library, which we think is one of the best, if not the best, in streaming.” Cordella told Glaspiegel. “It’s not just this football game.”
But House Democratic Rep. Ryan, who represents New York's 18th district, accused Goodell and Cordella of “cheating their fans.”
“Enough is enough,” Ryan wrote in the letter. “The NFL made $12 billion in 2022, while NBCUniversal made nearly $40 billion. Now is the time to put the power back where it belongs: to the fans.
“The NFL and NBC must get this right. We ask that you make every effort to make it easy to watch.”
Former U.S. president and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang also contributed his thoughts on Friday's Peacock broadcast. Post to X “If I were president, I would never have to download Peacock to watch an NFL playoff game.”
The NFL will broadcast the Bills-Chargers game exclusively on its streaming service in December, and just like that game, viewers in the local Miami and Kansas City markets will be able to watch the game on NBC.
Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu also called Peacock's broadcast setup “crazy.”
He offered fans a subscription to the service to watch the matches.
Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa will face off for the second time this season, while Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill will return to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since his trade to Miami.
