Apr 15, 2026
Fans and lawmakers alike are following NFL contracts closely this April — and not just the free agents and upcoming draft picks.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust probe into the league as the NFL seeks to renegotiate its broadcasting contracts with media partners including CBS, NBC and Fox, ESPN reports (1).
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The NFL currently collects more than $10 billion a year from broadcasters and streaming services for broadcast rights, according to ESPN. In turn, fans are paying more than ever for sports cable channels and streaming subscriptions, while having to buy more of them as the league carves off special packages.
For example, if a game isn’t on cable or local TV, you may need an ESPN subscription to watch Monday night games, a Netflix subscription to watch Thursday night football and Christmas games, and a paid subscription to YouTube to watch out-of-market games on Sunday.
That kind of paywalling means the cost of watching an NFL game has gone up faster than Fernando Mendoza’s draft stock.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, reportedly wrote to the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission, encouraging these agencies to look into the situation on behalf of the fans.
“To watch every NFL game during the past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions,” Lee wrote, according to Poynter (2).
The question the DOJ wants to answer is whether the NFL is breaching anti-competition laws, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle believe it is.
“What we’re essentially seeing play out here is a classic case of a monopolized industry using their power and control to take advantage of the American people,” Congressman Patrick Ryan (D-NY) said in a statement to ESPN (3).
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Here’s a look at the offensive and defensive positions in this case and what it could mean for your sports-streaming bill.
NFL broadcasting deals booed by a billionaire
There’s no question that NFL games are hot broadcast properties, with 127.7 million people tuning in to the 2026 Super Bowl in February alone (2). Every broadcaster wants a piece of the action — including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN, along with streamers like Amazon Prime, NFL Network, YouTube and Netflix.
As Ryan shared with ESPN (1), the high cost of NFL broadcasting rights comes down to “billionaires in boardrooms making decisions to maximize their profits without thinking for a second about the fan.”
But even billionaires are protesting against the NFL’s broadcast deals, including Fox owner Rupert Murdoch. Fox Sports is currently competing with YouTube and Netflix for a five-game package of NFL games (3).
In late March, Fox filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission warning that the NFL’s deals with streaming services threatens the TV stations that local communities rely on, as it takes away potential ad revenue from those stations (4).
Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive VP of media distribution, has since defended the league’s position. The NFL argues that it makes more games available on local stations than other sports leagues, including local telecasts in communities where games are being played live.
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“I’m not sure there’s a single content owner, league or otherwise that hasn’t done more to support broadcast television than what we do,” he said, according to The Athletic (5). “But we also have to be on the other platforms, where we know our fans are spending their time.”
The NFL also notes that Americans are still watching the broadcasts — more last year than any year since 1989 (6).
“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” the league said in a statement shared with ESPN (1).
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Lawmakers want a new bill, fans are left with the bill for now
The NFL’s statement on media distribution, however, was not good enough for lawmakers like Lee and Ryan, who would like to see The Sports Broadcasting Act, passed in 1961, repealed.
The 65-year-old law allows the NFL and other sports leagues to negotiate broadcast rights collectively, with antitrust protection, for sponsored telecasts of games. But the rise of streaming services has changed everything and could potentially require new policies — and legal referees.
Senator Lee notes that courts have interpreted “sponsored telecast”’ to mean free to the public, ad-sponsored telecasts — not subscription-based streaming or cable channels or any other paid viewing platforms. He was pleased to hear of the DOJ’s decision to investigate.
“I’m glad they’re tackling this,” Lee said on X (7).
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Indeed, lawmakers are looking at broadcasters themselves in this equation. Senator Elizabeth Warren has joined others in asking the FCC to investigate ESPN’s deal to acquire the NFL Network (8). As part of the deal, the NFL reportedly got a 10% stake in Disney-owned ESPN (9).
Warren also noted this not only raises concerns about conflicts of interest, but how it could put other broadcasters and streamers at a competitive disadvantage.
For now, sports fans have to find a way to watch their favorite team on TV without shelling out a fortune. Here are a few strategies for football fans to consider.
Put your money into one sports streaming service
Consumer Reports notes that a streaming service like Fubo has more than 200 channels, including sports networks like ESPN, BeIn Sports, FS1, Golf Channel, MSG, NBA TV and SNY (10). Alternatively, Fubo Sports ($56/month) gives subscribers access to 20 sports and broadcast networks.
Leverage streaming offers from your mobile provider or credit card company
As ZDNet suggests, find out if your existing mobile provider or credit card company is offering a deal on a sports streaming service (11). For example, T-mobile offers a free subscription to the MLB network, while Verizon offers ESPN+ credits.
Switch from monthly to annual subscription
Not only may an annual subscription to a sports channel or streaming service cost less than a monthly subscription, but it may also be a way to avoid upcoming price hikes.
Watch with friends
One of the best ways to cut the cost and elevate the experience of watching sports is to do it with fellow fans. If you’ve got a number of friends who are all into sports, you could each subscribe to a different channel or streaming service and watch games at each other’s homes.
You can also go to a local sports bar and enjoy the game with fellow fans for the cost of a couple of drinks.
Either way, watching sports isn’t meant to be a source of financial pain for fans. And with any luck, the matchup between the NFL and U.S. lawmakers will hopefully lead to a solution that allows fans to save a few bucks.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
ESPN (1); Poynter (2); Yahoo Sports (3); Federal Communications Commission (4); The Athletic (5); Bleacher Report (6); Mike Lee/X (7); U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (8); The Hollywood Reporter (9); Consumer Reports (10); ZDNet (11).
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Laura Boast is an Associate Editor with Moneywise.com and a lifelong content creator who's worked for Discovery, CBC, Blue Ant Media and Bond Brand Loyalty among other organizations. She’s covered everything from consumer affairs to comets, chimps and cars. She’s obsessed with home design shows.
