Lawmakers Question Rising NFL Streaming Costs for Fans
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, addresses a congressional hearing on the NFL’s streaming practices and rising costs for fans. Jordan discusses the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 and antitrust concerns, as fans face exorbitant prices to access every game on multiple platforms. It highlights the need for affordable access to NFL content for all voters, not just those who can afford expensive packages.
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It’s no secret that it’s much harder to find an NFL game in prime time thanks to the support of streaming services.
Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Netflix have each secured exclusive rights to specific games, and that may just be the tip of the iceberg. The new way of watching sports, which is also more expensive than ever, was recently called into question during a hearing regarding the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act.
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Andrew Whitworth watches TNF on Prime before an NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 17, 2024. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Andrew Whitworth is one of the faces of Amazon Prime Video’s NFL coverage, and while he believes in not “putting[ting] the genie is back in the bottle”, he also understands the fans’ frustration.
“I get it. I get it that fans are trying to figure out how they want to watch this or that or the other thing,” Whitworth told PK Press Club Digital of the new “path we’ve taken.”
However, Whitworth also believes that watching sports is little different from finding your favorite movies or TV shows spread across certain services.
“It’s always the hardest thing when I’m like, ‘Oh, I heard I should watch this show.’ And I’m like, “Well, where is it?” “And so it’s that journey that you take to figure out which service has this TV show that you want to watch that someone told you about or whatever,” Whitworth said. “I think that’s just where things are right now. I don’t think I have a good answer on what a fan or anyone should do, other than that’s the kind of world we live in…
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams speaks with Andrew Whitworth during the Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football post-show following the NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on December 21, 2023. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Broadcasters urge Congress to reexamine sports broadcasting law as games move to streaming paywalls
“I think sports is the same as entertainment, and right now a lot of it is going to specific places to watch these specific things. I think that’s just kind of the world we live in right now. I think it’s all starting to make sense. And I’m sure, like anything else in the world, we’ll find ways to simplify it and make it easier. But right now it feels like everyone is setting up shop and knowing where they are. is in the industry, I think over time we will start to see the process become simpler.
If one were to strictly stream all NFL games throughout the 2025 season on Sunday Ticket, Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN Unlimited and NFL+, it would have cost a minimum of $575, and for others (former Sunday Ticket watchers) almost $800.
Sports leagues have benefited from the shift to streaming, with the NFL paying $1 billion a year to stream “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon, as one example. The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to television.
Andrew Whitworth speaks on the set of the Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football postgame show following the NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 19, 2023. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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Courts have ruled in the past that this does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite and streaming. The Sports Broadcasting Act includes a rule allowing local games to be banned, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by leagues.
