NFL faces federal scrutiny as streaming deals grow and raise concerns over access and fairness

The National Football League is now under more pressure from the federal government as more of its games move to streaming platforms. The United States Department of Justice has started looking into whether the league’s media deals are fair for fans and other companies. At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission has asked the public to share their views on the shift away from regular TV.

This attention comes as the NFL keeps pushing big games to streaming services. “Thursday Night Football” moved to Amazon Prime Video in 2022, and playoff and holiday games followed after that. These games used to be shown on free TV channels like CBS and Fox, but now many fans need subscriptions to watch them.

The league is earning huge money from these deals. It makes around $11 billion every year from media rights, with streaming companies paying a big share of that. The NFL is also thinking about adding more special games and even expanding the season, which could bring in more money through new packages.

“It's about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers,” a government official said about the investigation.

There have already been legal issues around the league’s TV model. A court case about the “Sunday Ticket” package once led to a massive payout being ordered, though that decision was later overturned. The case raised questions about how the league sells its out-of-market games.

Lawmakers are also looking again at the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which allows leagues like the NFL to sell their rights together. The rule mainly applies to broadcast TV and not streaming, which is why there is growing debate about updating it.

Even with all this, the NFL says most of its games are still available on regular TV, especially in local markets. But as more games move online, the balance between making money and keeping games easy to watch is becoming a bigger issue.