NFL faces Justice Department probe after fans express frustration with streaming pivot: report

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TheJustice Departmentreportedly opened an investigation into the NFL on Thursday over whether the league used anticompetitive tactics against fans.

The Wall Street Journalfirst reported the investigation.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaking at a press conference in San Francisco

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a press conference after Super Bowl LX at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb.9, 2026.(Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire)

“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” a league spokesperson said.“With over 87% of our games on free, broadcast television, including 100% of games in the markets of the competing teams, the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content.The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans.”

The reported investigation comes as Trump administration officials and lawmakers have warned about revisiting the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.The law allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide TV deals without violating U.S.antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access.

Sen.Mike Lee, R-Utah, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, addressed theissue in a letterto the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.He requested a review of the league’s antitrust exemption status.

Meanwhile, surging streaming prices and sky-high ticket costs have combined to leave the average American NFL fan boxed out of watching their beloved game altogether or making it impossible to find.

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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on �Friends” last month that officials are reviewing thousands of comments on whether a significant share of sports should remain free on broadcast television.

The Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football logo appears on a television camera during the second half of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov.29, 2024.(Aaron M.Sprecher/Getty Images)

Carr said the FCC is looking into whether sports leagues should continue to benefit from aspecial antitrust exemption, and that public comments solicited on the matter largely support keeping games more accessible.

“We actually got thousands and thousands of comments.It was a big number for the FCC… The vast majority so far, based on an initial assessment, support keeping a significant portion of these sports games on free, over-the-air broadcast TV,” Carr said.

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“So, we’ll be looking at it.There could be actions at other portions of the government, and Congress as well, if these sports leagues continue to push this issue.”

Carr made his feelings clear, stating he thinks the experience of finding a game to watch has become frustrating and costly.

“You effectively have to have a computer science degree to decipher this,” he said, adding that, historically, broadcast TV and sports leagues have had a mutually beneficial relationship that allowed leagues to grow while supporting local news.

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“We’re at a tipping point where these leagues can push it so far, putting games behind paywalls, that they undermine their ability to claim that antitrust exemption.”

NFL fansthemselves have also spoken out about the league’s streaming strategy.

OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to the streets of Nashville and New York City last month to talk to aggrieved football fans.

“I think it’s frustrating when you just want to watch a game, and you have to figure out what app it’s on.And then you’re paying formultiple appsall the time,” one fan said.

Another fan was blunt, calling the current system of watching games “f—ing stupid.”

“Well, it’s f—ing stupid, you have to get five different platforms to watch all of the games that you want to, and still you have to pay on top.It’s ridiculous at this point,” the fan said.

One fan called it a “pain in the a–” to keep track of where and when the games are being streamed.

A different fan called it a “money grab,” citing Netflix as the latest streaming service the NFL brought in to start broadcasting its games.

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NFL fans who want access to every game need to purchase YouTube TV for “NFL Sunday Ticket,” in addition to the costly subscriptions for all the streaming services the NFL broadcasts on.Those streaming services are Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix.The combination of those respective services is over $1,500 a year, and that doesn’t include the fees that come with basic cable packages or high-speed Wi-Fi that is needed to accommodate the platforms.

� Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

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