DOJ investigating NFL over media rights and antitrust concerns
USA Ministry of Justice The NFL has opened an investigation into potential anti-competitive tactics, a government official told CNBC. The investigation stemmed from questions about “affordability for consumers and creating a level playing field for providers,” the official said.
The government’s investigation comes as the NFL is trying to renegotiate media rights deals with broadcast networks earlier than previously planned, CNBC previously reported. The league is also reportedly A larger game bundle is being considered with the streaming giant netflix.
In a statement to CNBC, the league called its media distribution model “the most fan- and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry” and said more than 87% of NFL games are on free broadcast TV.
Regardless of whether games are broadcast on cable TV or broadcast only, teams are always shown on broadcast networks in their local markets.
“For decades, the NFL has put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content. The 2025 season was our most-watched season since 1989, reflecting the strength of the NFL distribution model and its broad availability for all fans,” the league said. he said.
Wall StreetJournal previously reported DOJ probe.
Last week, Fox Corp.Sinclair, which owns a suite of Sunday NFL games and affiliate stations, raised a similar issue with the Federal Communications Commission. There were media companies reportedly He told the FCC that sports should not be allowed behind paywalls, such as exclusive streaming deals, because it would mean higher costs for consumers and more problems for legacy TV.
As the cost of sports media rights has skyrocketed, viewing costs for consumers have also increased through increasingly piecemeal media packages that may require multiple subscriptions and price increases for these services.
The NFL is currently in the midst of an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal with the CBS, NBC and Fox broadcast networks, as well as Disney’s ESPN and Amazon’s Prime Video, that runs through the 2033-34 season.
However, the league is beginning to renegotiate its agreements with its broadcast partners; This would increase the league’s revenue and eliminate the opt-out clause after the 2029-2030 season, providing a longer runway for games to remain with existing broadcast partners.
All major sports leagues in the US have seen a similar split of games between traditional TV and streaming platforms, but the NFL still has the highest density of games across TV broadcasts despite having the shortest schedule.
Recently began renewal talks with the NFL Paramount Skydance CBS has made a bid for a deal that would keep a package of Sunday games on the broadcast network, CNBC previously reported. CBS is currently paying about $2.1 billion a year, and a potential increase resulting from renewed negotiations could cause the network to pay more than $3 billion in the next deal, CNBC reported.
While live sports, particularly the NFL, are driving the highest ratings for linear TV, the league has signed several broadcast-only deals to reach consumers without traditional TV packages.
Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, and for the last few years Netflix has been the home of Christmas Day games. The league has also signed exclusive one-time streaming deals for select games, including the playoffs, with broadcast counterparts of legacy media companies like NBC’s Peacock.
During the 2024 CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan event, NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distribution Hans Schroeder discussed the growing importance of streaming to the future of the league. He called the league’s Wild Card game, which was streaming exclusively on Peacock at the time, “the most transformative moment” in recent years.
— CNBC’s Jessica Gold contributed to this report.
