DOJ probes NFL over streaming deals as antitrust exemption draws scrutiny
The Justice Department is probing the NFL’s exclusive streaming deals amidst fan frustration over fragmented and paid access. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr questions if the league should retain its special antitrust exemption, initially established by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley suggests Congress examine the NFL’s monopoly structure, highlighting their $25 billion annual revenue and rising fan costs.
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Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty addressed the issue of sports leagues broadcasting behind a paywall as Americans’ frustrations build with the number of services needed to simply watch a game.
Trusty addressed the issue during a conference in Las Vegas on Monday. She credited FCC Chairman Brendan Carr with identifying that “public interest is no longer being served, and the need for government immunity is less clear” as leagues migrate behind a paywall.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford points during the Bears game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 18, 2026. (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
“Indeed, more than 8,000 people have submitted comments at the FCC — with 98% of those comments expressing frustration with the streaming migration trend and their hope that broadcast will remain the pre-eminent platform for watching their favorite team,” she said. “Getting broadcast policy right includes empowering broadcasters to respond to this widely felt consumer need and ensure broadcasters’ continued ability to serve local communities not only through sports but other programming, as well.”
A Fox News poll in March indicated that 72% of sports fans think major sporting events should stay free on broadcast TV, amid reports that the NFL is considering allowing teams to sell the rights to preseason games to streaming services.
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.
NFL FANS CALL THE LEAGUE’S STREAMING STRATEGY A ‘MONEY GRAB’ AS COSTS SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL
Fans visit 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)
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.
Trusty said “it is in the public’s interest to have free, broadly available access to sports” as studies have shown that sports have the ability to unite Americans from all walks of life.
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 Fox News Digital. “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 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, Mo., on Nov. 29, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
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“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.”
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.