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NFL fans will likely have to spend more to watch the league’s full slate of games every week in 2026.
A YouTube TV “NFL Sunday Ticket” subscription can cost several hundred dollars, but does not provide access to every game. Fans should also subscribe to Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix to watch the full list. The all-inclusive costs of these plans exceed $1,500, but this figure does not include fees or Internet costs.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has made it a priority to support American sports fans as the NFL, NBA, MLB and other leagues move key games from broadcast and cable television to expensive streaming services. However, the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if too many games are placed behind a paywall, Carr said this week.
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The NFL Shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium on November 25, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/magn Images)
“Does the NFL still benefit from the antitrust exemption when negotiating the distribution of games not on a sponsored television broadcast, but on a streaming service?” Carr said Thursday at an event in Washington, D.C., via Semafor. “It’s a very current and very mature issue.”
Carr warned that there’s “a point where you kind of tip the scales, and they’ve just put too many games behind a paywall, and then this whole exemption collapses.”
NFL FANS CALL LEAGUE’S STREAMING STRATEGY A ‘MONEY GRAB’ AS COSTS FLARE OUT OF CONTROL
A 1961 law allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide television deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access. The stakes are high if the NFL’s antitrust exemption goes away, particularly if individual franchises start selling their TV rights separately.
Carr highlighted broader implications for media rights negotiations. “If NFL teams were able to bargain collectively,” he said, “should broadcasters perhaps also be able to bargain collectively?”
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks during a press conference following an FCC meeting in Washington, DC, February 18, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
PK Press Club Digital reached out to the NFL for comment, but league officials did not immediately respond.
Last month, the FCC said it solicit public comments on the move of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming platforms. The comment period runs until March 27, with responses due April 13.
The FCC, under the Trump administration, is seeking public comment on the current shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)
Carr acknowledged that the increasing cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming frustrates fans, arguing that the downsides ultimately outweigh the benefits.
Carr acknowledged that the increasing cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming frustrates fans, arguing that the downsides ultimately outweigh the benefits.
“Americans get frustrated when they sit down and can’t find the game they want to watch. And that feeling only gets worse when they realize they may have to sign up for another streaming service to watch the game,” Carr told PK Press Club Digital.
“There has long been a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between sports leagues and broadcasters, and consumers will benefit if that continues,” Carr continued. “I want to see Americans continue to enjoy free live sports programming.”
