While the NFL has acted like it’s untouchable for many years, the league is finally seeing some pushback from the court system. For years fans have been forced to pay for a numerous streaming subscriptions just to watch their favorite team.
Now, it appears that this frustration has caught the attention of some people who can do something abou it. An explosive new report has exposed the league’s business practices and suggests that the NFL is “stretching the law” to squeeze every dollar from their fans.
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Here are the details.
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Feb 13, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during the Super Bowl 57 Winning Team Head Coach and MVP press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFL faces serious backlash after government report leaks
In a scathing report released by the House Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Jim Jordan, on Monday, the NFL was criticized for disregarding the narrow guardrails established by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act and its antitrust exemption in pursuit of becoming a lucrative sports empire. The suit alleges that America’s most popular sports league has violated the law.
In addition, consumers are limited in their choices and the prices for viewing games have been increased.
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This report, obtained by Fox News, contains the central argument that Congress created the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA) to keep games widely available on free television and to assist a struggling league:
The report, at its heart, zeroes in on the league’s Sunday Ticket offering. It highlights evidence from the ongoing Sunday Ticket antitrust case, including a 2024 jury verdict that found the NFL violated antitrust law and awarded more than $4.796 billion in damages to plaintiffs. That verdict was later vacated by a judge, wrongfully so, according to the report.
The report also cites internal data suggesting most Sunday Ticket subscribers aren’t “avid fans who want every game,” but rather fans trying to watch one out-of-market team.”
Page 18 of the report is especially troubling for the NFL relative to its decisions with The Sunday Ticket package. It outlines that:
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ESPN reportedly proposed a Sunday Ticket package priced around $70 per season.
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According to documents cited in the report, the NFL objected to the lower price point.
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The NFL also opposed a team-by-team purchase option that would have allowed fans to buy only their favorite team’s games.
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The report argues these decisions limited consumer choice and kept fans locked into a more expensive bundle.
The Committee and Subcommittee have been examining the NFL’s conduct regarding its agreements with broadcast, cable, and streaming distribution channels and weighing how they fit within the narrow antitrust exemption provided by the SBA.
The committee suggests that the NFL may be subject to continued legislative scrutiny, antitrust challenges, and pressure to change its marketing model. There is a suggestion that the NFL change its model prior to being forced to do so by courts or Congress.
There has, of course, been a persistent pushback from the NFL against such narratives. It would be impossible for the NFL to sell its product to broadcasters and streaming services in one piece if Congress or a court at some point struck down or further limited the current antitrust exemption the league enjoys.
In their latest round of contracts, the league was able to do that and that resulted in a deal worth approximately $110 billion.
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