DOJ investigates NFL streaming deals as antitrust exemption draws scrutiny
The Justice Department is investigating the NFL’s exclusive streaming deals amid fan frustration over fragmented, paid access. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr questions whether the league should retain its special antitrust exemption, originally established by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. PK Press Club contributor Jonathan Turley suggests Congress examine the NFL’s monopolistic structure, pointing to its $25 billion annual revenue and rising fan costs.
NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
National Association of Broadcasters Commissioner Olivia Trusty addressed the issue of sports leagues broadcasting behind a paywall as Americans’ frustrations mount with the number of services needed to simply watch a game.
Trusty addressed the issue at a conference in Las Vegas on Monday. She thanked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for identifying that “the public interest is no longer served and the need for government immunity is less clear” as leagues migrate behind a paywall.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford points during the Bears game at Soldier Field in Chicago on January 18, 2026. (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
“Indeed, more than 8,000 people submitted comments to the FCC – 98% of those comments expressing their frustration with the streaming migration trend and their hope that broadcasting remains the predominant platform for watching their favorite team,” she said. “Good broadcasting policy involves empowering broadcasters to meet this widely felt consumer need and ensuring their continued ability to serve local communities not only through sport, but other programming as well.”
A March PK Press Club poll indicated that 72% of sports fans believe major sporting events should remain free on television, as the NFL considers allowing teams to sell rights to preseason games to streaming services.
NFL fans who want access to every game must purchase YouTube TV for “NFL Sunday Ticket,” in addition to expensive subscriptions for all streaming services the NFL broadcasts on.
NFL FANS CALL LEAGUE’S STREAMING STRATEGY A ‘MONEY GRAB’ AS COSTS FLARE OUT OF CONTROL
Fans tour the area surrounding the NFL Draft stage outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on April 19, 2026, four days before the first round of the draft. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
These streaming services are Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix. The combination of these respective services adds up to more than $1,500 per year, and that doesn’t include fees associated with basic cable packages or the high-speed Wi-Fi needed to accommodate the platforms.
Trusty said “it is in the public’s best interest to have free and widely available access to sports” because studies have shown that sports have the ability to unite Americans of all backgrounds.
The Justice Department reportedly opened an investigation earlier this month into the NFL’s use of streaming services.
“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan- and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” a league spokesperson said in a statement to PK Press Club Digital. “With more than 87% of our games broadcast on free television, including 100% of games in competing teams’ markets, the NFL has for decades put our fans at the forefront of how we distribute our content.
The Amazon Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” logo appears on a television camera during the game between the Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders in Kansas City, Missouri on November 29, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
“The 2025 season was the most watched since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL’s distribution model and its broad availability to all fans.”
